Amnesty urges India to probe Kashmir killings

SRINAGAR: Amnesty International urged India to investigate recent killing of civilians in Kashmir on Saturday, as thousands of troops enforced a strict curfew in parts of the revolt-hit region.

Muslim-majority Kashmir valley has been hit by strikes, demonstrations and curfews over the killing of 11 civilians during the last month by Indian police and paramilitary forces struggling to control separatist rallies.

"The organisation is calling on Indian authorities to investigate all the killings," the London-based rights group said in a statement. It added that "any security personnel, as well as any protesters" involved in wrongdoing should be brought to justice.

The authorities in Indian Kashmir have already ordered a probe into some killings. The group also urged India to "avoid excessive use of force while dealing with demonstrators."

Troops enforced a strict curfew in parts of the summer capital Srinagar, southern Anantnag and northern Kupwara towns, police said. The curfew was briefly lifted in Anantnag on Saturday morning but had to be reimposed after protesters clashed with teargas-firing troops.

In Srinagar, police backed by paramilitary soldiers sealed off neighbourhoods with barbed wire and blocked the major roads to enforce a curfew in some parts of the city, the largest in Indian Kashmir.

A general strike called by Muslim separatists has closed shops and offices in the Kashmir valley for six days running. Separatists have fought against rule by New Delhi for decades, struggling for independence or for Muslim-majority Kashmir to join neighbouring Pakistan.

Separately, the Indian army said troops killed four suspected rebels along the de facto border dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan early on Saturday. "The four were killed when they were trying to infiltrate into our side from across the Line of Control," a military spokesman said.