New violence hits Indian-occupied Kashmir as death of tourist condemned

Hundreds of protesters clashed Tuesday with Indian forces on a third day of deadly troubles in occupied Kashmir as it reeled from the killing of a tourist drawn into the unrest.

A Kashmiri man injured in earlier clashes died in hospital on Tuesday, setting off the new battles. Six Kashmiris have now died in protests since a weekend siege in which security forces killed five youth.

As news of the latest death spread in Shopian district, south of Srinagar, residents poured onto the streets, throwing stones at security forces who fired shotgun pellets and tear gas, witnesses said.

A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least three people were critically injured in the clashes.

Shops and schools shut across occupied Kashmir following a protest call by separatists opposed to Indian rule. Hundreds of police in riot gear patrolled the old quarters of Srinagar amid a new curfew.

10 more youth martyred by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir

Four Kashmiris were martyred earlier by Indian forces in separate incidents on Saturday

Late Monday, a tourist from India’s southern Tamil Nadu state was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by stones as it drove into a protest outside Srinagar.

Stone throwing is a regular tactic in battles between young protesters and security forces.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a top separatist leader, condemned the attack on tourists as hooliganism.

"It is totally against our ethos of treating tourists as respected guests and brings a bad name to the people’s movement," Farooq said in a tweet.

R Thirumani, 22, was going to join his family in the tourist resort of Gulmarg when he was critically injured.

"He was hit in the head by a stone. On reaching a hospital, he vomited which went into his lungs and choked him to death," Shesh Paul Vaid, director general of police in Indian-occupied Kashmir, told AFP.

The restive territory has become increasingly tense in recent weeks.

Rebel groups have for decades fought Indian forces deployed in the territory. They want independence or a merger of the region with Pakistan. Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting.

India currently has more than 500,000 troops in Kashmir.