Shrine fire triggers Kashmir clashes

(25 Jun 2012) SCRIPT
Security forces and demonstrators clashed in Kashmir on Monday after a fire destroyed a revered Muslim shrine in the Indian administered portion of the disputed territory.
Scores of firefighters tried to douse the flames, but protesters threw stones at them and burned a fire truck, saying their response was slow.
Thousands of people later crowded nearby streets, chanting anti-India slogans and demanding Kashmir's freedom from Indian rule.
Clashes erupted in at least four other neighbourhoods in Srinagar, with protesters throwing stones at police and officers responding by firing bullets into the air and using tear gas, the officer said.
At least 30 protesters and 10 policemen were injured in the clashes, the officer said.
Shops and businesses stayed closed.
The cause of the fire at the 200-year-old shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani in the heart of Srinagar city was not immediately known.
The 11th century saint, popularly known worldwide as Ghaus-e-Azam, is buried in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
The shrine, which held his relics, has served as an important centre of Islamic and spiritual teachings in Kashmir.
Authorities appealed for calm and ordered a probe into the fire.
But separatists rejected the government probe and instead called for an independent investigation.
They also called for a general strike on Tuesday.
Anti-India sentiment runs deep in Kashmir, where rebel groups have fought since 1989 for independence from India or its merger with neighbouring Pakistan.
More than 68-thousand people have been killed in the uprising and subsequent Indian crackdown.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...