Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Deadly gunfight in Kashmir stirs unrest
SRINAGAR, India — At least four rebels, a counterinsurgency police official and a civilian were killed Friday during a gunbattle in disputed Kashmir, triggering anti-India protests and clashes in which several people were injured.
Government forces raided a cluster of homes on a tip that rebels were hiding in the southern Srigufwara area and they came under fire from militants, police said.
Four militants and a police official with the counterinsurgency force were killed in the fighting, said Col. Rajesh Kalia, an Indian army spokesman.
Police said a civilian husband and wife were hit by gunfire as soldiers cornered the rebels in the couple’s house. They were evacuated to a hospital where the husband was declared dead on arrival.
Police said at least two soldiers were wounded in the fighting.
As the fighting raged, protests and clashes broke out nearby and in other neighborhoods as residents tried to help the trapped militants escape.
Government forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas at the stone-throwing protesters, injuring at least 20.
Authorities suspended cellphone Internet service in several districts in the region, a common practice to make organizing protests more difficult, and according to the government, stop the spread of rumors.
Large anti-India protests and clashes later broke out on the outskirts of Srinagar, Kashmir’s main city, as thousands gathered to participate in the funeral of one of the slain militants.