Two killed as Kashmir protests continue

Two people have been reportedly killed as thousands take to the streets of Indian-administered Kashmir to protest Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region.

Demonstrators on Sunday defied a curfew in the summer capital of Srinagar to protest the Indian-rule and the killings of civilians.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq — a Muslim cleric and an influential moderate separatist — led the pro-independence rally.

Local sources say two youngsters were killed when police opened fire to disperse the crowd, Kashmir Media Service reported.

This comes after violent clashes between protesters and government forces left some two dozen people injured across the volatile valley on Friday.

The region’s influential separatist politicians have led numerous rallies in the disputed valley over the past weeks after police killed a teenage protester in early June.

They have threatened to continue protesting until India declares Kashmir an “international dispute” and releases all political prisoners.

New Delhi has expressed its willingness to hold talks with key separatist groups from Kashmir.

“We hope to restart the dialogue process. We will talk to any group, any political party which is willing to talk to us,” Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said Sunday.

More than 60 protesters and bystanders have lost their lives during two months of civil unrest in the region.

Thousands have been killed in volatile Indian-administered Kashmir since 1989.