SRINAGAR: Indian forces on Thursday killed at least six civilians protesting outside a Border Security Force (BSF) station in Kashmir on Thursday, two police officers said.
One police office said that the incident took place in Gool, 230 kilometres south of the main city of Srinagar, on Thursday when the Indian forces opened fire to disperse the protesters who had gathered outside the BSF station to demonstrate against an incident involving troops at a mosque on Wednesday evening.
“It is mayhem. Six are dead and dozens injured. The death toll could rise further,” he said.
The witnesses said that the troops had entered the mosque in Gool to complain about the loud recitation of prayers by worshippers during the holy month of Ramazan.
“The BSF soldiers fired indiscriminately, downing protesters left, right and centre,” one witness said.
Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the region in full but each only has control over a section of the territory.
Over the past two decades, the conflict in Kashmir has left over 47,000 people dead by the official account, although other sources say the death toll could be as high as 90,000.
