Tension escalated in Anantnag, 55 kilometres from here, last evening as a youth, Irshad Ahmad Parray, who was among several persons injured when security forces opened fire to disperse slogan-shouting protestors at the Sherbagh area, succumbed to his injuries in a Srinagar hospital, police said.

To prevent any untoward incident, curfew was imposed in Anantnag and adjoining Pulwama district this morning as a precautionary measure, they said.

They said curfew was also imposed in Srinagar this morning as people took to the streets in Maisuma in the heart of the city following rumours that one of the eight persons injured in the firing died in a hospital.

Police said the condition of the injured identified as Yasir Rafiq Sheikh was critical.

Eight persons including three close kin of JKLF Chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik were injured when police opened fire to quell a stone-pelting mob in the locality yesterday.

In the city, curfew was clamped in areas under police stations of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal, M R Gunj, Soura, Nigeen, Zadibal, Hazratbal, Dalgate, Maisuma, Kralkhud, Shaheedgunj, Batmaloo, Qammerwari, Dalgate, Ram Munish Bagh, Tourist Reception Centre and Lal Bazar, police said.

In the rest of the areas of the city, restrictions have been imposed on the movement of people, they said.

However, law enforcing agencies have been advised to allow the movement of government employees after showing their identity cards.

Restrictions on the movement of people have also been imposed in Hyderpora and Budgam towns of central Kashmir' Budgam district.

Shops, educational institutions, banks and private offices remained closed and all modes of transport was off the roads in response to the separatists' call for strike up to 5 PM.