Shopian:
Shopian town in south Kashmir is tense after violent protests over the killing of four men on Saturday in firing by the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF.
A protester was killed on Wednesday allegedly in firing by security forces.
Protesters condemning the controversial shootout clashed today with security forces, who used water-cannons and batons to control a crowd that tried to march towards the civil secretariat.
Locals say the four men killed on Saturday were innocent civilians. The police insists that one of them was a Lashkar e Taiba militant, but it has admitted that the other three had no militancy record.
The protesters say they want the CRPF camp in Shopian to be removed and those responsible for the four deaths to be arrested.
Yesterday, the police allegedly fired warning shots and teargas shells to disperse a crowd of protesters. A young man named Rafiq Ahmad Rather was killed and four others were injured. Soon after, protesters went on the rampage and set ablaze an officer's home, a PTI report crediting sources said.
After the massive protests, curfew has been imposed in Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts. There's heavy police presence in the areas.
The main opposition leader Mehbooba Mufti tried to visit Shopian yesterday, but according to her party, the PDP, she was detained in neighbouring Pulwama. Police say she was stopped because of the security situation in Shopian. Ms Mufti has demanded an impartial probe into the killings of the four people.