At least 11 people were killed today in anti-government and Koran demonstrations across Indian Kashmir, police said, in the biggest single death toll from protests in the disputed region in years.
The toll includes seven people killed when police fired on Muslim protesters who took to the streets to denounce reports that copies of the Koran had been damaged in the United States.
Police said the demonstrations, attended by thousands in western Kashmir, quickly turned into protests against the Indian central government - a day after authorities slapped a curfew on much of the restive region.
The crowds massed in Budgam and Tangmarg areas chanting slogans denouncing the United States. They set fire to government buildings and a school owned by a Protestant church, witnesses and officials said.
"One person died in Humahama (in Budgam district) over Koran protests and in Tangmarg three people were killed after a huge Koran protest turned into an anti-government demonstration," said Kashmir Valley's inspector general of police, SM Sahia.
Kashmir has seen mass rallies against Indian rule in the last three months and at least 70 protesters have been killed by police. Demonstrations on other issues - such as the Koran - can often balloon into wider anti-government sentiment.
Yesterday, two people were killed in a third straight day of violent protests in Afghanistan sparked by a US pastor's threat to burn copies of the Koran.
While Pastor Terry Jones dropped his plans to burn the Koran at his small church in Florida on the ninth anniversary of September 11th, there were at least two incidents of abuse of the Koran in Lower Manhattan in New York on Saturday. Two evangelical preachers not affiliated with any mainstream church burned two copies of the Koran in Tennessee.
It was unclear which incidents the Kashmiri demonstrators were denouncing. Iranian TV reports were aired in Kashmir yesterday about alleged desecrations of the Koran - a grave insult to Muslims who believe the Koran to be the literal word of God.
Reuters