SRINAGAR, Nov 22: Stone-throwing Muslims protesting against elections in occupied Kashmir were shot at on Saturday. Two people were killed and another was injured seriously, police said.

Chanting “No election, no selection, we want freedom”, the protesters took to the streets in Baramulla town and hurled rocks at police and paramilitary personnel, a local police officer said.

Many Muslims who want Kashmir to be an independent state or joined with Pakistan oppose the elections, arguing they will only entrench India’s hold on the disputed Himalayan region.

The elections follow some of the worst protests against Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir in two decades. They were met with a tough crackdown by Indian forces, and at least 48 people were killed.

On Saturday, security guards for a candidate opened fire on protesters who were throwing rocks at their motorcade, said the police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

One protester, 15-year-old Manzoor Ahmed, was killed when he was shot in the chest, the officer added.

After the shooting, hundreds of other demonstrators poured into the streets and police opened fire, the official said. Another protester was killed and one was critically injured in the ensuing melee, he said.

The latest violence comes a day ahead of the second phase of elections in Jammu-Kashmir.

More than 30 leaders who called for a boycott of the polls have been detained in recent days under a law that allows police to hold people for up to two years without trial.—AP