SRINAGAR, India (AFP) – A young man was killed Tuesday when security forces opened fire at stone-throwing protesters in Indian Kashmir, police said, the latest in a series of deaths that have stoked public anger.
Crowds had poured on to the streets of Srinigar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, vowing revenge and chanting “we want freedom” and “blood for blood” after the death of another protester on Monday.
Indian police and paramilitary forces struggling to control a wave of protests in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley have now killed at least 12 civilians in less than a month.
“The young man was killed when security forces opened fire at a very violent rally,” a police officer who declined to be named told AFP of Tuesday’s death.
Srinagar has been at the centre of furious separatist demonstrations since June 11 when a 17-year-old student died from a police teargas shell.
The latest death occurred when security forces opened fire to disperse a demonstration triggered by the death of another protester who had gone missing on Monday and whose body was later found in a stream.
Protesters had thrown stones Monday at a convoy belonging to Nasir Aslam, a senior minister and close aide of chief state minister Omar Abdullah, prompting troops to chase them away.
Residents said the man drowned after being chased into the water by security personnel, but no official comment has been issued.
Each civilian death has sparked a new cycle of violence despite appeals for calm from Abdullah.
Leading moderate separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq led thousands of people through downtown Srinagar on Tuesday, calling for the end to the “killing of innocent people.”
The unrest is a major test for Abdullah, who came to power last year promising to improve human rights.
Separatists in Kashmir have fought against rule by New Delhi for 20 years, campaigning for independence or for the Muslim-majority region to join neighbouring Pakistan.
The insurgency, which India says is fuelled by Pakistan, has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Amnesty International at the weekend urged the Indian government to investigate the spate of deaths.
It said that both security personnel and protesters involved in wrongdoing should be brought to justice, and pushed for the authorities to “avoid excessive use of force.”
Police imposed strict curfew restrictions in most parts of Srinagar but protests continued.
Schools and colleges were closed on Tuesday after activists had appealed to students to hold anti-India protests.
India and Pakistan each hold Kashmir in part but claim it in full. They have fought two of their three wars over the area.
