Anti-India rebels, woman killed during Kashmir fighting

A woman was killed during anti-India protests in disputed Kashmir yesterday following a gunbattle that killed two rebels, police and villagers said.

Fighting erupted after Indian troops cordoned off a village in the southern Shopian area overnight on a tip that militants were hiding in a house, police said.

The trapped militants tried to escape while firing their guns but soldiers retaliated, leading to nightlong fighting.

As the fighting raged, hundreds of residents, mostly young men, entered the streets in solidarity with the rebels, chanting pro-militant slogans and demanding the end of Indian rule over Kashmir.

The fighting stopped after two militants were killed and a police official and a soldier were injured, police said. But clashes continued between rock-throwing protesters and troops who fired bullets, shotgun pellets and tear gas.

Police said the woman died in the crossfire. Villagers disputed that claim, saying troops fired at the protesters, killing the woman. At least 10 civilians were also injured.

Police said at least one militant escaped during the clashes.

Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each claim Kashmir, which is divided between them.

Rebel groups want Kashmir to be united, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.

In recent years, Kashmiris, particularly young people, have openly supported anti-India rebels and sought to protect them by engaging troops in street clashes during military operations against the militants. Anti-India protests and clashes have persisted despite the Indian army chief warning recently that “tough action” would be taken against stone throwers during counterinsurgency operations.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in Kashmir’s mostly Muslim population and most people support the rebels. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, which Pakistan denies. AP