The UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed concern on Thursday over the lockdown in the Indian-controlled Kashmir region, where the shutdown of telecommunication cut Kashmir off with the rest of the world. 

The near-total communication close-down has lasted for four days in the Muslim-majority territory, where it also experience a record security restriction at the moment. 

The announcement of Kashmir's special status being stripped has been a serious issue since Monday and followed by condemnations from local activists and former politicians as well as Pakistan and China.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended his controversial decree on Thursday as a necessary step to curb "terrorism and separatism."

Hundreds of arrests have been reported this week, and Modi is continuing to downgrade Kashmir from an so-called "autonomous state" to a New Delhi-run territory.  

Guterres said the lockdown could "exacerbate the human rights situation in the region" and he was "concerned over reports of restrictions on the Indian-side of Kashmir."

Meanwhile, the UN chief appealed for "maximum restraint" from India and Pakistan, both of which are at the center of Kashmir dispute. 

Pakistan described India's unilateral move in the Muslim-majority region as "illegal". 

After India scraped Article 370 that gave Kashmir special status, Pakistan decided to suspend trade and downgrade diplomatic ties with India amid heightened tensions between the two countries. 

In Srinagar, Kashmir's largest city, thousands of Indian troops remained deployed on Thursday. Schools were shut and roads were blocked in order to prevent public protests. 

(With input from agencies)