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Kashmir's 69-year-long history of deadly strife
SRINAGAR: When news spread in early July that Indian troops had killed a charismatic commander of India-held Kashmir's (IHK) biggest militant group, the Hizbul Mujahideen, the public response was spontaneous and immense.
Tens of thousands of angry youths poured out of their homes in towns and villages across the Himalayan region, hurling rocks and bricks and clashing with Indian troops.
A strict curfew and a series of communications blackouts since then have failed to stop the protesters, who are seeking an end to Indian rule in Kashmir, even as residents have struggled to cope with shortages of food, medicine and other necessities.