AVA- On Saturday, Indian forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Tral area of Pulwama district, located south of Kashmir’s main city Srinagar.
A gunfight ensued, culminating in the death of six Kashmiris, inspector general of police Swayam Prakash Pani said.
As the news of the killings spread, hundreds of people took to the streets in Tral in a public display of anger at the deadly event. They clashed with police. According to witnesses, tear gas was used to disperse the crowd.
Authorities have suspended train services in Kashmir Valley and shut down mobile internet services to prevent the unrest from spreading.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi strongly condemned the killings.
In a separate incident, India's army accused the Pakistani military of opening fire in the Keran sector of Kupwara district, killing two Indian officers. Pakistan did not comment on the Indian allegations.
There has been a recent flare-up of hostilities between Indian and Pakistani troops along the disputed de facto border in Kashmir. Each side accuses the other of provocation.
Since October 1947, Kashmir has been suffering from a war between India and Pakistan. Both neighbors claim full governance over the region but they each have partial control over it. Pakistan controls one-third of Kashmir, with the remaining two-thirds under India’s control.