Kashmir clashes as troops block mourners

Massive anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir yesterday, wounding at least 16 people, after a gun battle with militants troops overnight killed two rebels, police said. The clashes erupted after government forces in the southern Shopian area tried to stop mourners attending the funeral of one of India’s most wanted rebels in the Himalayan region, police said. Rebel commander Zeenatul Islam was killed along with his associate late on Saturday in a firefight with troops. Government forces fired bullets, shotgun pellets and teargas to stop the mourners.