Police raid newspapers in India-controlled Kashmir
Several major newspaper offices have been raided by police in Indian-controlled Kashmir as part of an information blackout following a week of unrest in the disputed state.
Police targeted the offices overnight on Saturday in an attempt to curb news distribution of deadly clashes in the region as a military curfew entered its eighth day.
"Police on Saturday night raided the printing press and seized the printed copies of Kashmir Reader," said the English language daily on its website, adding that eight of the paper’s employees have also been arrested.
According to locals, the copies which had also been distributed were recalled by the police.
"The policemen seized the plates of Greater Kashmir (newspaper) and more than 50,000 printed copies of (Urdu-language daily) Kashmir Uzma and closed down the GKC printing press," said a report on the Greater Kashmir website.
Internet and mobile networks have already been suspended in the region, and authorities have halted cable television broadcasting.
The state government has ordered restrictions on the movement of people and traffic in several parts of the valley. It said in a statement that only people involved in medical emergencies would be allowed to travel across the troubled region.
Clashes erupted after Burhan Wani, a top figure in the pro-independence Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) group, was killed along with two others in a shootout with Indian troopers on July 8.
Anti-riot troops have used live ammunition, pellet guns and teargas to disperse the crowds and calm down the outrage over the past few days.
At least 40 people are now confirmed dead and over 2,000 others injured following days of violent clashes between protesters and Indian forces. Medical sources have expressed serious concern that a severe lack of blood donations and life-saving medicines could cause more deaths.
Kashmir has been at the heart of a bitter territorial dispute since India and Pakistan became independent in 1947.
New Delhi and Islamabad both claim the Himalayan region in full, but rule parts of it. The two countries have fought two wars over the disputed territory.
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