News / India

Violence kills five in Kashmir

Sunday, 07 May 2017 9:01 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 07 May 2017 9:18 AM ]

Indian troopers are seen patrolling in Turkwangam Lassipora, in Shopian, Kashmir, May 4, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

New violence in Indian-controlled Kashmir has killed three civilians, a militant, and a security force.

Authorities said that the militant, identified as Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar, was killed when an armed group attacked policemen clearing the site of a road accident near Kulgam district late Saturday.

“A police party was at the accident site when they were attacked. In the crossfire, one policeman and three civilians died. One of the attackers also died,” a police source said on Sunday.

Ashwar carried a $3,000 bounty on his head over his alleged role in a deadly 2015 attack on a military convoy that killed two troopers.

On Sunday, thousands of local residents gathered at a funeral procession to mourn Ashwar’s death.

Anti-India sentiments run high in the predominantly-Muslim Kashmir Valley, where most people favor independence or a merger with Pakistan.

This image shows Indian troops during a crackdown in Turkwangam Lassipora in Shopian, south of Srinagar, Kashmir, May 4, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Indian-controlled Kashmir is one of the world’s most heavily militarized areas in the world. More than 500,000 Indian soldiers are deployed in Kashmir regularly to crack down on civilians.

The clashes have become more frequent since the killing of popular militant leader Burhan Wani last July, which sparked widespread unrest.

Nearly 100 people have lost their lives and more than 12,000 have been injured in the ensuing crackdown.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their partition and the end of British rule in 1947. Both countries claim the territory in its entirety, however. They have fought three wars over the disputed territory.

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