SRINAGAR, India (AP) — A security clampdown and a strike sponsored by separatists fighting against Indian rule shut most of Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday, a day after chaotic protests and fighting killed seven civilians and four combatants in the disputed region. Police said in a statement that they regretted the killings but that the protesters had come “dangerously close” to the fighting. Separatists who challenge India’s sovereignty over Kashmir said the killings were part of India’s state policy and called for three days of mourning and a general shutdown in Kashmir. “How long shall the global community keep watching the Indian brutality in Kashmir like a mute spectator?” Salahuddin asked. The killings of the seven civilians and three rebels angered Kashmiris and sparked anti-India protests and clashes at several places in the region.

Source: Egypt Independent December 16, 2018 11:03 UTC