Blast kills five at scene of shootout in Kashmir
SRINAGAR: Police in Kashmir said “leftover explosives” were responsible for a blast that killed at least five civilians on Sunday as they protested against government forces shooting dead three alleged militants.
Protesters had surged the site of a shootout in southern Kulgam town, chanting slogans against Indian rule and hurling rocks at troops as they fired at unidentified gunmen.
Three alleged rebels were shot dead in the exchange but a subsequent explosion at the scene killed five demonstrators, said Inspectorgeneral of Police Swayam Prakash Pani.
“Protesters ignored warnings and soon overwhelmed the site, where five died after being hit when leftover explosives went off,” he said.
At least 30 other civilians were wounded in clashes with police, another officer and witnesses at the scene said.
Mobile telephone services were suspended in the area as protests spread. Many civilians in Kashmir support rebels who have been fighting for decades for independence.
India has some 500,000 troops deployed in Kashmir.
Popular unrest has been rising since 2016 when a charismatic young rebel leader was shot dead by forces. More than 100 civilians died in subsequent weeks of protest.
A civilian was among four people killed last week in a shootout in the heart of Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died in the decades of fighting across Kashmir.
This year at least 186 militants, 80 civilians and 75 government forces personnel have died in clashes.