Civilian killed in Kashmir in clashes with Indian occupying forces

Crowd protests at funeral of militants

Kashmir – A civilian was killed and several wounded yesterday in Indian-administered Kashmir when security forces opened fire on a crowd gathered for the funeral of three rebels slain overnight in clashes with soldiers, police said.

Thousands of villagers poured onto the streets for the funeral, chanting slogans against Indian rule and pelting stones at soldiers who responded with bullets and pellet fire to disperse the angry crowd, a police officer said.

Director-general of police for the territory, S. P. Vaid, confirmed a protester was killed in the exchanges.

On Wednesday night soldiers and counter-insurgency police surrounded a residential area where they suspected armed militants were hiding out, triggering a fierce exchange of fire.

Scores of residents then emerged from their homes to pelt stones at the soldiers in a bid to help the militants escape, a police officer said.

“Three terrorists were killed and three weapons were recovered from the site,” army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said yesterday.

Witnesses said the army blew up the house where the militants were hiding in Kakapora, about 30km south of the main city of Srinagar.

One soldier was also injured in the gun battle, police said.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 and both countries claim the entire territory.

Rebel groups have, for decades, fought the roughly 500 000 Indian soldiers deployed in the territory, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan. –