Indian army martyrs 6 more Kashmiri youths in IHK

SRINAGAR: Indian troops Saturday martyred six more Kashmiri youths in Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK) during a shootout, officials said, sparking clashes between protestors and police.

All six Kashmiris belonged to a small Kashmiri group fighting for freedom in the occupied Kashmir, top police officer Munir Ahmad Khan said. Indian troops zeroed in on a youths’ hideout in an orchard during searches in southern Tral area and fired warning shots, triggering a brief firefight that left the six Kashmiris dead, inspector general of police Swayam Prakash Pani said.

Eye witnesses said hundreds of locals came out on the streets and clashed with police, who had to fire tear gas to disperse them, after encounter with the innocent youths.

Authorities also suspended mobile internet and train services in the occupied valley to prevent a large gathering of protestors.

This has been the deadliest year in a decade in the IHK, with more than 550 people including 150 civilians killed, according to a monitoring group.