Gunfight, clashes kill seven people in Indian-controlled Kashmir

A gun battle in Indian-controlled Kashmir and ensuing anti-India protests have left at least seven people dead, including three civilians.

Police said Indian troops killed three gunmen and a civilian allegedly being used as a human shield in Kulgam district in southern Kashmir on Wednesday.

Hundreds of people staged a rally in the district, south of the main city of Srinagar, chanting anti-India slogans and hurling stones at government forces who fired live rounds, pellets and tear gas in return.

"Two civilians died when they came close to the encounter site," said local police chief Shesh Paul Vaid.

Vaid noted that a soldier was taken to a military hospital and later succumbed to injuries he suffered during the fighting.

On Wednesday, students staged an anti-India protest at Srinagar's largest university, while the city’s shops were closed.

Earlier this month, at least 20 people, including four civilians, lost their lives in a number of fierce gun battles between Indian security forces and suspected separatist militants in the restive Himalayan region.

SS