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Death toll in Indian-controlled Kashmir clashes rises to 15, over 200 injured

Xinhua, July 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

The death toll of civilians in clashes between protesters and government forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir has risen to 15, police said on Sunday.

Over 200 people, including policemen, were injured in the ongoing clashes.

The violent clashes broke out Saturday after a top militant commander of Hizbul Mujahideem (HM) Burhan Muzaffar Wani was killed in a gunfight.

"Yesterday late evening the number of killings was 11 but during the night four more succumbed to their wounds and toll reached to 15," an official said. "Over 200 people are injured and majority of them have fire arm wounds."

Police officials said over 90 policemen suffered injuries in the clashes with protesters, who tried to attack police stations.

Authorities have imposed curfew in all the major town of the Muslim majority ares of the restive region. The curfew restrictions in Srinagar city continued for the second straight day on Sunday to prevent clashes.

Hundreds of policemen in full riot-gears and carrying automatic rifles were seen enforcing restrictions in Srinagar.

"The restrictions have been imposed to maintain law and order," a senior government official Asghar Samoon told the media. "We appeal people to cooperate in maintaining the peace."

Local newspaper reports said at various places people defied curfew and started protests against the killings on Sunday.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed for calm and expressed anguish over the killings.

"I appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to remain calm and maintain peace. Centre is working with the State government to bring normalcy in Kashmir valley," Singh wrote on Twitter.

Reports said federal government has rushed additional reinforcements to the region to contain the backlash following militant commander's killing.

Protests in the region began Friday evening soon after news about Wani's killing. However, it grew violent on Saturday with irate youth throwing stones and brickbats on government forces, who responded by firing tear smoke shells, pellets and bullets.

The 22-year-old Wani was poster boy of of HM, a regional, indigenous militant outfit.

The fresh killings are likely to fuel further anger in the volatile region. Separatist groups have extended shutdown call for two more days to protest what they described "killing spree" at the hands of police and paramilitary.

Indian-controlled Kashmir's Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said "disproportionate force" was used on to control crowd.

A separatist movement and guerrilla war challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfights between militants and Indian troops take place intermittently across the region.

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