How long will India hold people of Kashmir hostage at gun point?
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\08\02\story_2-8-2010_pg1_3
Nine protesters killed as thousands defy curfew in IHK
- Indian forces open fire on thousands of protesters
- Angry Kashmiri youth hurl stones at security forces, set govt buildings and vehicles on fire
SRINAGAR: Four people were gunned down on Sunday by the Indian armed forces who opened fire on thousands of protesters and five civilians were killed in a blast at a police station, bringing the death toll from weeks of clashes in increasingly violent Indian-held Kashmir to 31.
The explosion happened after the police station was set on fire by residents angry at two deaths in Khrew, a town near Srinagar where hundreds had been protesting against India, a top police officer said. At least five people were killed and dozens of civilians were injured in the blast, the officer said on condition of anonymity, as he didn’t want his name to be used.
There were no casualties among the police officers who fled the area as the mob attacked the police station, which also housed a state counter-insurgency police force, the officer said. A lot of explosive material used in quarry blasting was stored in the police station as the town is known for its cement industry and it might have triggered the blast, he said.
“A deafening blast shook the earth beneath and a flying brick hit my head,” said Muhammed Yousuf, an eyewitness. “We don’t know what happened inside the premises, but outside many were left injured,” he said. Earlier, demonstrators started hurling stones after government forces tried to prevent them from marching in Pampore, another police officer said.
He said that the armed forces opened fire, killing two of the protesters. Another two people were killed and five others injured in firing by the government forces in nearby Khrew, where hundreds of people marched through the streets chanting pro-independence slogans, the officer said. As night fell, thousands of Kashmiris held protest marches across the state and clashed with the forces.
Many injuries were feared in the violence, police said. Hundreds of residents of Pampore and nearby villages had joined demonstrations and set government buildings and vehicles on fire after hearing about the shooting deaths of two people on Saturday, police and witnesses said. agencies
