News / India

2 killed in renewed anti-India protest in Kashmir

Tuesday, 09 January 2018 5:28 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 09 January 2018 5:28 PM ]

An Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard during a restriction hour in Srinagar, Kashmir, December 8, 2017. (AFP photo)

A renewed wave of anti-India protests in Kashmir has left two people killed as security forces fired indiscriminately at stone-throwing demonstrators south of the Himalayan territory.

The violence in Kokernag area and neighboring villages erupted Tuesday when Indian military forces launched a raid on a hideout used by suspected fighters.

One person was killed in the raid, senior police officer S.P. Vaid said, adding that the other one escaped while injured.

India designates those armed fighters against its rule in the disputed Kashmir as militants and rebels who enjoy support from neighboring Pakistan. Islamabad denies any involvement but reiterates that it will continue to provide moral support for the cause of the people in Kashmir for independence or an integration with Pakistan.

The security operation Tuesday soon turned into a wider confrontation between Indian troops and local people who came to the streets in several villages around Kokernag to defend the fighters. People hurled rocks at security forces who used tear gas, shotgun pellets and finally live bullets. A young man injured in the clashes later died in hospital while at least three others were reported injured.

Kashmir, the only Muslim-dominated state of India, has been the scene of renewed independence protests in the recent past. The escalation followed India’s killings of notable young fighters. Many young people then mobilized into the streets to engage troops and to show solidarity with the fighters.

Around 70,000 people have been killed in nearly 30 years of uprising in Kashmir as India struggles to ensure security with its more than 500,000 troops deployed to the region. Authorities in New Delhi warned recently that “tough action” would await those in Kashmir who impede security operations by throwing stones at troops.

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