JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was detained Monday after he tried to march towards the Army's Chinar Corps headquarters to protest the killing of seven civilians allegedly in security forces firing in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Malik and his supporters assembled in Maisuma area of the city and tried to march towards the headquarters at Badami Bagh, a police official said.
He said as the protestors reached near Budshah Chowk, police swung into action and took Malik and few others into custody. They were lodged at the Kothi Bagh police station.
Police also used tear smoke shells to disperse the protestors, the official said.
The civilians died on Saturday when security forces allegedly opened fire at a crowd that tried to storm the site of an encounter in which three militants and an army man were killed, police had said.
According to a JKLF spokesman, "Malik led enthusiastic men, women, young and old of the area in large numbers and started his march towards Badami Bagh cantonment.
"The main feature of this peaceful protest rally was the presence of women who were wearing white shrouds and holding placards illustrating slogan 'Indian oppressors, kill us all'."
Separatists under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) - comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Malik had Saturday asked people to join the protest march against the civilian killings.
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