SRINAGAR, Feb 11: Protesters blocked a main highway in Indian-held Kashmir on Saturday after a young man was shot dead by the army in what military officials described as an “accidental” shooting.

Ashiq Hussain Rather, 22, was killed on Friday night when a soldier accidentally fired his rifle as security forces combed the area for militants, the army said. The killing occurred in the Baramulla district of the scenic valley.

“It was a case of the accidental discharge of a single bullet by a soldier which led to the unfortunate incident,” Lieutenant General S.A. Hasnain told the Press Trust of India. “The deceased was innocent. Inquiries have been ordered,” he added.

Police used baton charges and teargas to disperse the protesters who were blocking traffic along the main Kupwara-Baramulla highway, according to media reports.

There are nearly a dozen Kashmiri militant groups fighting for the disputed region to become part of Pakistan and over 47,000 people have been killed since the outbreak of an armed campaign against Indian occupation in 1989.

The chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir state, Omar Abdullah, said the government would investigate the death. “We will ascertain the facts and any action will follow after that,” he told India’s NDTV channel.—AFP