Daily Times

SRINAGAR: At least one protester was killed on Wednesday in fresh clashes with Indian security forces in Indian-Held Kashmir, which is reeling from weeks of deadly violence, police said.

As Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in the disputed region to discuss the unrest with local political, business and other leaders, thousands of residents rallied in Pulwama in southern Kashmir.

The security forces fired tear gas and shotguns to disperse the crowd, which had defied a curfew to gather on the streets, said local police superintendent, Rayees Mohammad Bhat. “This youth died of shotgun pellet injuries,” Bhat said.

At least 14 other protesters were injured in the clashes, said a doctor at a hospital in Srinagar, where they were taken for treatment.

Kashmir has been under a curfew since protests broke out over the death of popular young rebel leader, Burhan Wani, on July 8 in a gunfight with security forces.

As many as 66 civilians have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, and thousands more injured in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan region since 2010.

Many of those injured have been hit in the eyes with pellets, causing partial or complete blindness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an end to the violence, stressing the need for dialogue with political parties to find a solution.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in August 1947 but both claim the territory in full.

Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have been killed since 1989 when an armed revolt against Indian rule began. The rebel groups are seeking either independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Meanwhile, India deployed its border force in India-Held Kashmir (IHK) for the first time in 12 years even as fresh clashes broke out in Pulwama district of the state on Wednesday.

The paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) troops were brought in the valley on Tuesday even though curfew was lifted from many parts in Srinagar after more than 40 days.

IHK has been on the edge since July 8 when Indian security forces gunned down Burhan Wani, leader of separatist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.