Indian troops martyr two more Kashmiris

SRINAGAR: Indian forces martyred two Kashmiri men and injured another one occupied Kashmir on Monday as tensions in the disputed territory ran high.

A police officer was also critically wounded in a separate incident. 

Hundreds of villagers poured out onto the streets, many throwing stones and shouting slogans against Indian rule. 

One was injured when government forces fired into the crowd.

Kashmir has seen a spike in violence since the start of Ramadan in late May, with 56 people martyred n almost daily clashes.

Last week stone-throwing protesters clashed with government forces in the main city of Srinagar.

Kashmiri freedom fighters have for decades fought roughly 500,000 Indian soldiers deployed in the territory, demanding merger of the region with Pakistan.

The conflict has left tens of thousands dead since 1989, mostly civilians

Tensions are expected to escalate further ahead of the first anniversary on Saturday of Burhan Wani who was martyred by security forces.

Officials say dozens of local youths have joined the freedom fighters ranks since his death, and armed encounters have become more frequent.

The martyrdom of Wani provoked a huge outpouring of public anger in occupied Kashmir that has drawn a growing number of civilians into the conflict, with entire communities coming out to help the freedom fighters and attack government forces.