Thousands of government forces erected more checkpoints and laid razor wire on roads in Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir, and were enforcing curfew-like restrictions to prevent separatist rallies. Restrictions also were enforced in other Kashmiri towns as shops, businesses and public transportation shut down for the third day of a separatist-called strike.
July 13 is observed as "Martyrs' Day" in Kashmir, and traditionally both separatists and pro-Indian Kashmiris commemorate the day when the region's Hindu king ordered 21 Kashmiri Muslims executed to put down an uprising. The state government usually observes a holiday.
"This is the day to reiterate our commitment to the cause of freedom, dignity and independence," said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key separatist leader.
Kashmir has been rocked by protests and strikes since nearly a month. At least 15 people have died mostly in shootings blamed on police and paramilitary soldiers.
A rigid curfew was imposed last week but lifted Sunday in most of Kashmir. Restrictions continued in Srinagar and two southern towns following weekend clashes.
Anti-India sentiment runs deep in Kashmir, where separatist politicians and armed Islamic militants reject Indian sovereignty and want to carve out a separate homeland or merge the region with Pakistan.
The current tension is reminiscent of the late 1980s, when protests against Indian rule sparked an armed conflict that has so far killed more than 68,000 people, mostly civilians.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but both countries claim it in its entirety. The South Asian rivals have fought two wars over the Himalayan region's control.
