Youth killed as fresh protests rock Indian-controlled Kashmir

A youth was killed and over 40 others injured Wednesday after government forces fired tear smoke shells, pellets and warning shots to disperse a protest rally in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The 18-year-old Amir Ahmad Mir was killed at village Pinglana of Pulwama district, about 35 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"A young boy critically injured was today brought here in the hospital but when our doctors rushed to attend him in the emergency ward, he was declared brought dead," a senior health official at Srinagar's SMHS hospital told Xinhua. "His body bore firearm injuries and apparently it seemed, he was hit by pellets."

Locals at Pulwama said around 40 people were injured in the clashes with government forces in the village.

"There was a call for congregation at a nearby village but police had sealed off the venue and vandalised the makeshift stage there," Muddasir Ahmad, a local resident said. "The people who were marching towards the village to defy police restrictions police fired tear smoke shells and thereby triggering clashes, which left many injured."

The killing has come at a time when Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Srinagar to review the security situation and hold talks with political parties to restore calm in the region that is on boil following the killing of a top militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani on July 7.

Reports said clashes in Srinagar resulted in injuries to over a dozen people. Locals said clashes broke out after government forces thrashed three people without any provocation.

Wednesday's killing has brought death toll of civilians in the standoff to 66, besides injuries to thousands of civilians. Two policemen have also lost lives and hundreds of government forces personnel suffered injuries in dealing with protesters.

On Monday, the region's opposition leaders belonging to pro-India parties, led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to initiate dialogue with all stakeholders to put an end to the ongoing crisis, besides a ban on usage of pellet guns during crowd control in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Despite prolonged curfew and restrictions to clampdown on protesters, clashes and protests seem to be intensifying on the 48th day on Wednesday. The shutdown and restrictions has affected normal life in the region, with people complaining dearth of essentials and eatables. A shortage of medicines has been reported in the region.

Separatist movement and a guerrilla war challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989.

Prior to this, in 2010, a similar wave of violence hit the region and claimed over 100 lives during clashes that continued for months together.

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.

The weeks of turbulence in Indian-controlled Kashmir has added a new confrontation in the already strained relations between the two countries. Endit