Seven Kashmir civilians shot dead by Indian troops

Seven civilians have been killed and nearly two dozen injured when Indian troops fired on protesters in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The Saturday demonstration was held by hundreds of people condemning the killing of three pro-independence fighters in Sirnoo village of the restive district of Pulwama.

Clashes erupted after Indian troops laid siege to a civilian house where the fighters were hiding. As the soldiers began a search operation, the fighters exited the house and took position in an apple orchard, firing at the soldiers, which led to a gunfight in which the three fighters and an Indian soldier were killed, said Muneer Ahmed Khan, a top police officer. The gun battle sparked protesters, with large numbers of local people chanting pro-independence slogans and calling for an end to India's rule over the Himalayan region.

The protesters threw stones at Indian troops while Indian forces fired bullets, shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop them, killing seven and injuring about 50 others.

"It was mayhem. Six protesters died in the ensuing firing by soldiers," a police officer, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP. Hospital officials said a seventh man died later of gunshot wounds.

Residents accused Indian troops of directly spraying gunfire into the crowds.

"They (Indian troops) fired at us as if they were practicing their guns," said Shabir Ahmed, a local resident who accompanied some injured taken to a hospital in Srinagar, the region's main city.

A large number of students also held protests against the killings. Public displays of anger spread to the old quarters of Srinagar and the northwestern town of Sopore.

Authorities have suspended train services in Kashmir Valley and shut down mobile internet services to prevent the unrest from spreading.

Kashmir's prominent pro-independence group Hurriyat Conference called for a three-day strike and protests across the region.

SS