SRI NAGAR: Kashmir rebels abducted 11 relatives of policemen in the troubled region as mounting tensions forced India’s Supreme Court on Friday to put back a landmark hearing on the state’s autonomous rights.

A general strike brought the Muslim-majority region to a standstill for a second day despite the Supreme Court postponing the ruling until at least January.

The 11 family members were abducted from villages across south Kashmir late Thursday in an apparent reprisal operation.

It came after two families of rebel leaders alleged that government forces set fire to their homes during night raids. They also said relatives of known rebel leaders had been detained.