Asia

Killing of 2 civilians triggers protests in Indian Kashmir

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Kashmiri Muslim women shout anti Indian slogans during in a protest march organized by women separatist group Dukhtaran-e-milat, or Daughters of the Nation, shortly after a day long curfew in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016. The protesters shouted slogans against Indian rule and denounced the killings of Kashmiri civilians during the recent unrest. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) (The Associated Press)

Kashmiri Muslim women shout anti Indian slogans during in a protest march organized by women separatist group Dukhtaran-e-milat, or Daughters of the Nation, shortly after a day long curfew in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016. The protesters shouted slogans against Indian rule and denounced the killings of Kashmiri civilians during the recent unrest. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) (The Associated Press)

An unidentified relative of Riyaz Ahmad Shah, one among two civilians killed by government forces wails as an ambulance carrying his body arrives at his home in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016. Fresh protests flared in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday following the overnight killings of two civilians by government forces amid a nearly monthlong security lockdown and protest strikes. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) (The Associated Press)

Fresh protests have flared in Indian-controlled Kashmir following the overnight killings of two civilians by government forces amid a nearly monthlong security lockdown and protest strikes.

Police say thousands of people held street protests Wednesday, chanting "Go India, go back" and "We want freedom." Demonstrations were held in the Pampore area and a neighborhood in Srinagar, the region's main city.

Locals say government forces fired tear gas in Pampore after thousands offered funeral prayers for a young man, one of the two civilians killed overnight.

Over the past month, the Indian-held portion of Kashmir has seen its largest protests against Indian rule in recent years. The protests started after Indian troops killed a rebel commander July 8. At least 50 civilians and one policeman have been killed in protest-related violence.