Anti-India protests erupt in Kashmir
SRINAGAR, India — Massive anti-India protests erupted in several parts of the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir yesterday amid fierce fighting between rebels and government forces that left at least 12 militants and three army soldiers dead, officials said.
At least four civilians were killed and dozens injured in the latest round of anti-India protests, which broke out after Indian troops launched counterinsurgency operations targeting mainly the southern parts of disputed Kashmir, where rebels have revived militancy and challenged New Delhi’s rule with guns and effective use of social media.
In recent years, Kashmiris, mainly youths, have displayed open solidarity with anti-India rebels and sought to protect them by engaging troops in street clashes during military operations against the militants. The protests have persisted despite the Indian army chief warning recently that tough action would be taken against stone throwers during counterinsurgency operations.
Thousands of Kashmiris hit the streets yesterday, chanting antiIndia slogans and demanding an end to Indian rule over Kashmir as troops launched anti-rebel operations in three southern villages.
By the time authorities handed over the bodies of some of the slain rebels to their families, tens of thousands had gathered to attend their funerals while shouting slogans such as, “Go India, go back” and “We want freedom.”
The gunbattles — the deadliest this year in Kashmir — began overnight after government forces raided three southern villages following a tip that rebels were hiding there, police said.