Death toll in Kashmir rises to 70, over 1,000 protesters arrested

The conflict-hit valley of Kashmir has been under a security lock-down and curfew since the killing of Burhan Wani, a popular commander, on July 8 sparked some of the largest protests against Indian rule in recent years.

Tens of thousands of people have defied the curfew and participated in street protests, often leading to clashes between rock-throwing residents and government forces firing live ammunition, shotgun pellets and tear gas.

On Monday, tens of thousands of troops patrolled streets ringed with barbed wire and enforced a curfew in most parts of Kashmir. Shops and schools were closed because of the security crackdown and a protest strike.

However, protests demanding the end of Indian rule over the region continued in several places, with reports of clashes between protesters and government forces in various locations.

The region has remained locked down since, as prominent Kashmiri leaders opposed to Indian rule called for strikes and protests and Indian authorities responded by suspending most mobile networks and internet and clamped rolling curfews in large parts of the territory including Srinagar.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, opposition lawmakers on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence over the situation in Kashmir and demanded that the government take political steps to defuse the crisis.