Three more die in Kashmir violence

At least three more people have lost their lives in Indian-administered Kashmir as violence continues to wreak havoc in the disputed Himalayan region.

The men were killed in separate incidents across the predominantly Muslim region on Wednesday, Kashmir Media Service reported.

Sources say Indian paramilitary troops killed at least two young men during search operations in the towns of Hindwara and Dooru Sopore.

Another young Kashmiri, who was wounded during an anti-India rally, succumbed to his injuries in a Srinagar hospital.

Stone-throwing protesters also clashed with Indian troops in Budgam and its surroundings.

The latest causalities come as a group of Indian lawmakers visiting Kashmir cut short a hospital tour after being heckled by the relatives of patients.

About 108 people have been killed since pro-independence protests began in early June. Blamed on Indian security forces, the deaths have angered Kashmiri people and triggered large protests.

Curfews and strikes have shut down the region’s summer capital of Srinagar and several other towns for weeks. A Press TV correspondent says residents are complaining of shortages of food and other supplies across the volatile valley.

India and Pakistan have claims on the entire Muslim-populated Kashmir region but posses partial rule over it. Pakistan has slammed India for its brutal crackdown on demonstrators.

Islamabad has urged the international community and regional countries to pressure India over Kashmir.

“The occupation cannot continue. The rights of the Kashmiri people cannot continue to be denied,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday.

Amnesty International has also called on India to take immediate steps to protect and respect human rights in Kashmir.

“Security forces should use the minimum force necessary to defend themselves or others against an imminent threat of death or serious injury. They should not employ intentional lethal use of firearms except where such use is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life,” Amnesty International said in a statement.