Abdul Ghani Bhat: Placed under house arrest

Abdul Gani Bhat, the head the main separatist alliance, the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a former chairman of the alliance, were arrested early on Friday.

Four other separatist leaders were taken into custody on Thursday night.

In the capital, Srinagar, police used teargas to break up violent protests outside the main mosque after Friday prayers.

Mosque sieges

Earlier this week, the security forces killed six militants holed up inside a mosque in Shangus, 57 km (35 miles) south of the summer capital, Srinagar.

The mosque was demolished in the incident.

Last week, four people died when a grenade was hurled into one of Kashmir holiest shrines, the mosque at Chrar-e-Sharif.

Local people blamed they police - but they denied any involvement.

Warning

Last month, the security forces lifted a siege of a mosque and allowed the militants inside to escape for fear of damaging the building and offending religious sentiments.

But on Thursday, the security forces warned they would take whatever steps were necessary to "neutralise" militants who took refuge in religious places.

Violence has escalated in Kashmir since Indian forces called off a unilateral ceasefire against militant groups three weeks ago.

India has invited Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, to Delhi next month for talks on the future of the disputed territory.