Tension escalated in Srinagar, capital of India-administered Kashmir, after the death of a schoolboy today with relatives alleging he was shot by paramilitary personnel, according to dpa. The city has seen violent clashes between protestors and the police since another schoolboy died Sunday after he was hit on the head by a tear-gas shell fired by police during anti-India protests. Zahid Farooq, a 16-year-old resident of the Nishad area of Srinagar, was taken to hospital with a bullet wound Friday and doctors pronounced him dead. Farooq's relatives claimed he was killed in firing by paramilitary troopers posted near his house while he was playing with other children. The police said the cause of the boy's death was being ascertained and a case had been registered. "The body has a small wound, which could be caused by pistol fire. We are, however, keeping our minds open and the cause of the death will be known only after the postmortem examination," Kashmir inspector general of police Farooq Ahmed said. Over 300 people, including 55 security personnel, have been injured in the clashes between stone-throwing youths and law enforcement officers since Monday. The old quarters of the city had a curfew-like atmosphere Friday with a large presence of police and paramilitary personnel restricting people from gathering in large groups. In a separate incident, a policeman and a civilian were killed when militants opened fire on people coming out of a mosque after Friday prayers in Sopore town, about 45 kilometres north-west of Srinagar, a police official said. A head constable of police and a civilian were killed on the spot while another person was seriously injured. Security forces cordoned off the area and were searching for the attackers. The disputed Kashmir region has seen a violent secessionist movement over two decades in which more than 45,000 people - civilians, militants and security force personnel - have been killed. The violence has decreased over the past couple of years, but anti-India sentiments run deep in the region, and there are often flare-ups directed at security forces, who are present in large numbers. Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir, which is divided into two parts administered by the two countries. India has accused Pakistan of nurturing militancy in the region. Islamabad has denied the charge, calling the militants freedom fighters.
