Restrictions defied in Srinagar to attend militant s funeral (Lead)

Srinagar Nov 18 (IANS) A large number of people on Saturday defied curfew-like restrictions imposed by the authorities here to attend the funeral of slain militant Mugees Ahmad Mir.

Authorities had imposed restrictions in several areas in Srinagar to maintain law and order. However people from different parts of the city reached Parimpora area where the slain militant s funeral was held. Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik has been arrested and the authorities shifted him to Srinagar central jail on Saturday in addition to placing Mirwaiz Umer Farooq under house arrest. Mugees Ahmad Mir was killed on Friday in a shootout with the police in Zakura area of Srinagar. A sub-inspector of Jammu and Kashmir police Imran Tak was also killed in the shootout. Police said Mugees who originally operated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had lately joined the Al-Qaeda affiliated group Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind headed by Zakir Musa. --IANS sq/pgh/vm