Protests have once again erupted in Indian-controlled Kashmir after two civilians were reportedly shot dead by government forces amid a curfew in the region.
Police said thousands of people took to the streets in the Pampore area and a neighborhood in Srinagar, the region's main city, on Wednesday, and chantedanti-India slogans.
According to locals, government forces fired tear gas in Pampore after thousands of people attended funeral prayers for a young man killed overnight.
The civilian was gunned down when police forces opened fire after beingstopped at a roadblock set up by anti-India protesters late Tuesday.
A young man accompanying him was critically wounded and later hospitalized in Srinagar, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.
A private guard was also killed overnight at a bank in Srinagar with his family blaming paramilitary soldiers for hisdeath.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Indian paramilitary troopers take part in a patrol on a street in Srinagar on August 2, 2016. AFP[/caption]Over the past month, the Indian-held portion of Kashmir has seen its largest protests against Indian rule in recent years.
On July 30, two Indian soldiers and two suspected pro-independence militants were killed in a gun battle in Indian-administered Kashmir near the territorys disputed border with Pakistan.
The developments comeas over 50 people have been killed and thousands injured in weeks of unrest in Indian-administered Kashmir, triggered by the death on July 8 of popular pro-independence commander Burhan Wani during a gun battle with Indian forces.
Meanwhile, shops, businesses and schools remained closed for the 26th straight day on Wednesday due to a strike called by pro-independence militantsdemanding an end to Indian rule in the region.
Kashmir has been at the heart of a bitter territorial dispute since India and Pakistan became independent in 1947.
New Delhi and Islamabad both claim the region in full, but rule parts of it. The two countries have fought two wars over the disputed territory.
The last bout of serious violence in the scenic valley was in the summer of 2010, when more than 100 people died in anti-India protests.
By Press TV
