SRINAGAR: The woman separatist leader and chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Asiya Andrabi, was arrested by police in Srinagar on Tuesday.
A police official said Andrabi was arrested by police during a raid in Kralakhud area of Habba-Kadal in downtown Srinagar this afternoon.
He said Andrabi, who organized and lead anti-India protests by women in different parts of the Valley after an outbreak of unrest on July 9, was evading arrest.
Three top separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF are spearheading the ongoing agitation in the Valley, which was triggered by the killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by an encounter with security forces on July 8.
At least 90 people including two policemen have been killed and over 12000 civilians injured in over two month-long unrest in Valley, which has been witnessing curfew, restrictions, and shutdown since July 9.
Dukhtaran-e-Millitat general secretary Nahida Nasreen confirmed the arrest of Andrabi.
She said Andrabi was not keeping well for last few months and her health was continuously deteriorating.
“She would participate in pro-freedom programs at different places and police was after her throughout these months to curb her movement. She would change her locations continuously to evade the arrest. However, for the past many days, police had intensified the raids to arrest her,” she said.
Nasreen said Andrabi was arrested along with her colleague Fehmeeda Sofi and taken to an unknown location.
“The arrest of Andrabi will not break our resolve,” she said, "Adding arrests and detentions are part of the struggle and these won’t weaken the freedom struggle of people."