The Cabinet Committee on Security met here today and is understood to have discussed the situation in Kashmir where army has been deployed to assist the civil authorities in restoring normalcy following violence.

The meeting, chaired by prime minister Manmohan Singh, reviewed the situation in the wake of the spiralling protests in Srinagar following the killing of three persons yesterday.

Army staged a flag march in some areas of curfew-bound Srinagar this morning.

Home minister P Chidambaram, defence minister A K Antony, cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekar, NSA Shiv Shankar Menon, home secretary G K Pillai, and defence secretary Pradeep Kumar attended the meeting.

There was no official word on any decision taken at the hour-long meeting.

The state government had yesterday sought the help of the army after curfew was imposed in the city.

Earlier, minister of state for defence M M Pallam Raju had said that army would remain on the streets in Srinagar till it was necessary, but the government would like it to be short.

Army stays as long as the unrest does, says govt

MoS defence says that the state govt requested for the Army in view of the widespread violence in J&K

With the Army being called out in Srinagar, the government today said the force would remain on the streets till it was necessary, but it would like it to be short.

"Army steps in only when things go out of control ..... It is not a situation the Army would like to be in. But whenever it is necessary and in the interest of the nation, we step in," of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju told reporters here.

"(Army will stay) as long as it is necessary. But we would like to make it as short as possible," Raju said, when asked about the presence of the army in Srinagar.

He was interacting with the media on the sidelines of a CII-sponsored seminar on anti-tank missiles here.

The said it became necessary for the army to stage a flag march in the state's capital at the request of the state government in view of the ground situation.

"The moment the situation is under control, everything will return to normal," he said.

Indefinite curfew has been imposed in the city following violence yesterday that left three persons dead and over 70 injured.

Army deployed in Srinagar even as curfew stays

Widespread violence in Batmaloo and Maisuma locality of city left three dead on Tuesday

The Army was deployed in Srinagar to assist the state administration in maintaining law and order as indefinite curfew continued in the city and other parts of the Kashmir valley for the second day today after violent protests left three persons dead and over 70 injured.

Army columns were deployed in the entire city which saw widespread violence in Batmaloo and Maisuma locality resulting in the death of three people yesterday.

Curfew was in force in Anantnag, Pampore, Pulwama and Kulgam in South Kashmir and Kupwara and Bandipore in North Kashmir. Restrictions were in force at Sopore and Baramulla where Army also staged a flag march.