The Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Sunday decided to withdraw the security cover of five separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq in a reaction to the Puwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF jawans.
"A decision has been taken to withdraw the security cover of five separatist leaders -- Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, professor Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Ahmad Shah," state government sources said.
According to the decision, armed guards, vehicles and other facilities to the separatists will be withdrawn by Sunday evening, the sources added.
Sunday's announcement comes after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who visited the Kashmir Valley on Friday, had said that security provided to those who receive money from Pakistan would be reviewed.
Shah is presently in custody in Delhi after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Srinagar on July 26, 2017, in connection with a terror funding case.
Security cover was however, deployed outside his residence in Srinagar where his family resides.
Senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Muhammad Yasin Malik were not provided any security cover by the state government.
Meanwhile, the curfew in Jammu continued for a third consecutive day on Sunday with the authorities saying that it will remain in force until the law and order situation improves in the city.
"The situation was normal and under control during the night except for some stray incidents," a police official said.
"Authorities will take a call later in the day whether the curfew can be relaxed or not."
Protests took place on Saturday evening in the city's Nai Basti, Bantalab, Domana and Parade ground areas, but were quickly brought under control.
The Army has heightened security in Jammu city to maintain law and order.
The curfew was imposed on Friday after miscreants torched vehicles and damaged several others carrying number plates of the Kashmir Valley in protest against Thursday’s terror attack.