Army Chief General Dalbir Singh on Tuesday appealed to the security forces as well as the people of Kashmir to uphold human rights and give peace a chance, PTI reported. He asked security forces to exercise restraint while handling mobs and urged the people to shun violence and help restore peace at the earliest. Singh, who had last visited Kashmir in July, was in the Valley to take stock of the situation on Tuesday, a day before Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s scheduled visit.

General Singh also asked troops to be alert along the Line of Control and praised the army when he was apprised on recent infiltration bids foiled by them. He also underlined the “need to synergise efforts with all the other stakeholders”, reported The Indian Express. According to Greater Kashmir, the Army chief asked his men to make sure that militants do not take part in public rallies.

Meanwhile, an official spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Police said they had registered as many as 537 cases against rioters and "anti-nationals" over the last 45 days and arrested 381 people. The official told The Times of India that the police was working round the clock to assist the security personnel to bring back normalcy in the Valley.

The region has been in a state of unrest since protests triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. On Tuesday, curfew was lifted in parts of Srinagar after 45 days.