The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday disallowed the first major attempt by Shia Muslims to take out Muharram processions saying, "We are enforcing prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more persons."

Police fired teargas shells after hundreds of people refused to disperse from the civil lines area of Srinagar's high security zone, where prohibitory orders were in force.

Nearly 100 were taken into preventive custody. Among them were Maulvi Abbas Ansari, a Shia leader and member of the All Party Hurriyat Conference executive committee, and Javaid Mir, vice-chairman of the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front.

The state has not seen Muharram processions ever since the onset of militancy 13 years ago.

The processions are carried out throughout the world to commemorate the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussain, and his family in Iraq 1,200 years ago.