Kashmiris protest student's killing by army

Thousands poured onto the streets to protest the killing of a student, sparking fears of unrest.

SRINAGAR: Thousands of protesters poured into the streets in restive Indian held Kashmir on Saturday after a student was shot dead by the army.

The new unrest raised memories of massive anti-India protests that rocked the Muslim-majority region last summer in which at least 114 people were killed, most of them shot by security forces.

Manzoor Ahmad Magray, 21, a student, was killed by Indian troops late Friday in Handwara, 80 kms (50 miles) north of the region's summer capital Srinagar, police said.

Thousand of people marched in the streets on Saturday to voice their anger, television footage showed. Indian military spokesman JS Brar said in a statement that the army regretted Magray's death but added that "troops fired after he paid no heed to their signal to stop."

Handwara-based police superintendent Mohammad Aslam said: "We have registered a murder case against the army in connection with the incident."

"The situation is tense but under control," Aslam told AFP.

Relatives of Magray rejected the army's statement that the young man had refused to stop and charged that he had been killed "in cold blood."

"Torture marks were visible on the body of Magray. There was only one bullet wound in the lower part of the leg," said Shabir Ahmad, a relative.

The Himalayan region is held in part by nuclear-armed India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both. Civilian protests against India's rule have increased in the recent past.