Jammu, June 30 (IANS) The SMS services were blocked in Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday to prevent ‘anti-national’ people from spreading trouble in the state, an official said.

The SMS services have been blocked to prevent the ‘anti-national and vested interests from spreading trouble. The SMS services were being misused’, a government official, requesting anonymity, told IANS.

The services were blocked after protesters, who were angered by the killings in firing by police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Valley, defied curfew and attempted to damage religious places.

Eight youths have been killed in mob violence in the past four days in the state.

‘We received a communique from the home department of the state government to block SMS services across Jammu and Kashmir. We have acted accordingly,’ a service provider told IANS.

On Tuesday, the government blocked SMS services in north Kashmir.

In 2008 too, the state government suspended the SMS services during the Amarnath land row agitation. Again in 2009 the ministry of home affairs blocked pre-paid mobile services for more than two months.