Indian forces clash with Kashmiri protesters
Several people have been injured in a series of violent clashes between New Delhi’s forces and the demonstrators protesting against an alleged desecration of a mosque in Indian-administered Kashmir.
After Friday prayers, hundreds of demonstrators poured onto the streets of Srinagar, the region's main city, to denounce the desecration of the Grand Mosque by Indian security forces.
Violence erupted when angry demonstrators threw rocks at police forces, who attacked the protesters shortly afterward, hurling teargas canisters at the demonstrators to disperse the crowd.
Meanwhile, fierce clashes also broke out between police and the supporters of Kashmiri pro-independence leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in Anantnag district and the Lal Chowk area of Islamabad after the Indian forces detained him hours before his scheduled public address.
Indian security forces have put several Kashmiri leaders under house arrest to prevent them from leading street demonstrations.
On June 27, Indian troops fired teargas shells in the premises of Jamia Masjid in Srinagar without any provocation.
In a separate development, India's army on Friday claimed to have killed three suspected fighters in the disputed Kashmir region during a gun battle near the de facto border that divides the restive territory between India and Pakistan. Sources said two Indian soldiers were also injured during the exchange of fire.
Indian troops are also in constant clashes with the armed groups seeking independence in the area.
Amnesty International has recently censured India over a law that has given New Delhi’s forces legal impunity in the Himalayan valley. The emergency law, known as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), gives thousands of Indian forces sweeping powers to detain suspects without trial, shoot on sight, and seize property.
The disputed region lies at the heart of nearly 68 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. The arch rivals claim the region in full, but have partial control over it.
Thousands of people have been killed in Kashmir over the past 26 years.
JR/AS/MHB
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