Police in occupied Kashmir fired teargas and used batons on Friday to break up several processions and detained 65 people, police and witnesses said. The religious processions in Srinagar came two days ahead of the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, in Muharram nearly 1,400 years ago. Religious processions have been banned in occupied Kashmir for security reasons since 1989. Riot police in several places set up barricades and used teargas and bamboo truncheons to push back marchers who were chanting, "Hussain, Hussain." Javed Mir, a senior pro-independence leader, was detained when he and scores of supporters sought to stage a procession in Srinagar, police said.

Police used force against two more processions when marchers rejected calls by police to disperse. "Some 65 people have been detained" to keep the peace, a police officer said, adding six people were injured in the police action.

Maulana Abbas Ansari, former head of APHC, was put under house arrest early Friday, police said. "The government is trying to curb our religious freedom. Everyone should condemn it," Ansari told AFP over telephone.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005