IHK talks end in deadlock as protests continue

NEW DELHI: A meeting of the Indian government and opposition parties to resolve spiraling separatist protests in Kashmir appeared to end in deadlock on Wednesday as four more protesters were killed in police clashes.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting came two days after 18 people were killed in the worst single episode of violence in two decades of violent rebellion against Indian rule and are the latest in a three-month long series of protests.

The meeting failed to agree on a partial lifting of a widely-hated law that gives the army immunity from prosecution in case of civilian killings in the region. The only decision taken was to send a delegation of politicians to Kashmir.

Another 40 people were injured in the latest round of protests, in the Mendhar area of Poonch, a district which has rarely seen separatist demonstrations, about 120 km (75 miles)

Three killed during protest in Indian Kashmir

JAMMU: Three people were killed in Indian occupied Kashmir Wednesday when police clashed with Muslim protesters as the government and opposition parties met in New Delhi to try to end the worst violence in the region in years.

The deaths came two days after the worst single episode of violence in two decades of protests against Indian rule and are the latest in a three-month long series of demonstrations in the Himalayan region.

At least 10 people were seriously injured in the latest round of protests, in the Mendhar area of Poonch, a district which has rarely seen separatist demonstrations, about 120 km (75 miles) south of Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar.

“We had to open fire when our repeated attempts failed to disperse the mob who were trying to reach to a nearby Christian missionary school in the area,” a police official said.

The protests

1 militant killed in Mendhar Encounter

Mendhar: One militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Mendhar in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday morning. According to sources, the encounter is still on.

The militant, who was killed in retaliatory fire, is yet to be identified. Two other militants escaped from a house in the area, but are still battling security forces.

Reports of the encounter came as Defence Minister A K Antony is visiting Rajouri sector in Jammu and Kashmir to review security for the Lok Sabha polls and an update on infiltration bids by militants from across the international border.

Antony is being accompanied by Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and Indian Army chief Deepak Kapoor.

The Defence Minister’’s visit to the border state comes in the wake of intelligence reports that over 400 militants were ready to cross into the state to target political leaders touring the state.

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1 militant killed in Mendhar Encounter was first posted on April 27, 2009 at 11:16 am.