Authorities suspend mobile Internet services in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir Thursday suspended mobile Internet services in Muslim majority areas that are on boil for the past two days.

The services were initially suspended in Kupwara and Baramulla districts. However, later on the gag was extended to other districts including the Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Early in the morning I tried to check news on my mobile phone as usual but to my dismay the Internet services was unavailable," Murtaza Ali, a Srinagar resident said.

"Last evening, I heard the services were halted in Kupwara and Baramulla."

Although, the mobile phone service providers are tight-lipped over the suspension of Internet services, police officials say the step was taken as a precautionary measure to check spreading of "rumours".

"The internet services have been blocked as a precautionary measure to prevent anti-social elements from resorting to rumor-mongering," a police official, authorized not to talk to media, told Xinhua.

"The services would resume soon after the situation returns to normal."

Four civilians were killed after government forces fired on civilian protesters at two different locations in the frontier Kupwara district.

The trouble began on Tuesday after the Indian army fired upon an irate crowd that took to roads in Handwara town, 71 km northwest of Srinagar, to protest an alleged sexual assault bid on a young woman at the hands of a trooper.

The firing killed three civilians including a woman.

On Wednesday, another youth was killed in neighboring village of Drugmulla after being hit by a tear smoke shell fired by police to disperse people protesting the killing of three civilians.

Authorities have imposed curfew and restrictions in several areas of Kupwara and Srinagar for the second straight day.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel in full riot-gears were seen deployed along the roads to enforce restrictions and stop protests.

A group of journalists said they were not allowed to enter into curfew-bound Handwara town.

"We were told by the cops that they have strict orders not to allow journalists inside the curfew-bound town. Even top officials of police denied us entry," said a senior correspondent of Greater Kashmir.

The Indian army termed the killing of civilians in Tuesday's firing as "highly regrettable".

Both army and local government have ordered probe into the killings. However, rights bodies say such probes rarely yield any results and are announced to cool the tempers.

Indian-controlled Kashmir is considered as one of the highest militarized regions in the world. Indian troops and police are consistently accused of grave human rights violations in the region.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the psyche of majority of Kashmiris.

Residents in the restive region took to roads to show resistance by hurling brickbats and stones on government forces, who respond by firing tear smoke shells and bullets, which often proves fatal.

Mehbooba Mufti, who recently took over as the Chief Minister of the region, said such incidents shake the confidence of the people and adversely impact the efforts of the state government in consolidating "peace dividends."

Meanwhile, life in the region remained paralyzed for the third day due to a strike call by separatist groups denouncing the killings.

A guerrilla war is also going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in the region since 1989. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full.

Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Endit