Srinagar: A teenage boy and two suspected separatists were killed in a firefight with security forces in Indian-held Kashmir on Thursday that brought hundreds of local villagers out onto the streets in defiance of police orders.
Indian police claimed the firefight began after soldiers and police cordoned off a village outside the main city of Srinagar early Thursday, believing that two suspected separatists were hiding out there.
Both died in the firefight, which also killed a 15-year-old student hit by a stray bullet, and injured a second civilian.
“Two terrorists were killed in the encounter. Both were locals and belonged to a terrorist group,†director general of police, S. P. Vaid told the media .
Vaid said villagers shouting pro-freedom slogans clashed with security forces near the site of the gunbattle, defying orders to stay indoors.
A second officer who asked not to be named said hundreds of villagers marched to the scene, throwing rocks at government forces in a bid to aid the besieged militants.
Such scenes are increasingly common in the restive region, where separatists groups have for decades been fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan.
Police also claimed they brought the wife of one of the militants to appeal him to surrender.
“But he refused and was killed later,†Vaid said.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the disputed territory in its entirety.
Around 500,000 Indian soldiers are deployed in the region and the fighting has killed tens of thousands most of them civilians.
Armed encounters between separatists and government forces have become more frequent following widespread unrest last year, sparked by the killing of a popular separatists leader by security forces in July.
Police and army say dozens of local youths have separatists the rebel ranks since then.