Srinagar, May 21, SPA -- Violence in the Indian-controlledportion of Kashmir claimed six lives in separate shootoutsSaturday, while shops, businesses and schools were closedas the strife-torn Himalayan territory observed theanniversary of the killings of two separatist leaders. Unidentified gunmen killed two villagers early Saturdayoutside Tral village, 55 kilometers (35 miles) south ofSrinagar, the summer capital of India's Jammu-Kashmirstate, a local police officer said on condition ofanonymity. Police were investigating, but no motive for the killingswas immediately known, the Associated Press quoted the official as saying. A grenade blast killed a suspected rebel in anothervillage, while three other suspected rebels were killed inseparate gunbattles with army soldiers elsewhere inKashmir, said army spokesman Lt. Col. V.K. Batra. In Srinagar, schools and colleges were closed andshopkeepers shuttered their stores on Saturday during ageneral strike called by separatist groups. The Awami Action Committee called the strike to observethe anniversary of the killing of its leader _ Kashmir'sthen-chief cleric, Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq _ by unknownassailants on May 21, 1990. Twelve years later, another prominent separatist leader,Abdul Ghani Lone, was gunned down while addressing a rallymarking Farooq's death. On Saturday, hundreds of supporters shouted slogans asthey rode motorcycles through Srinagar. Traffic was sparse,with public buses off the roads and few private carsventuring out. Some other towns in Jammu-Kashmir also shut down inresponse to the strike call.--SPA1349 Local Time 1049 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/263951