Kashmir Rioters Burn Temples, Schools After Mosque Destroyed
Angry crowds burned schools, government buildings and Hindu temples in the Himalayan state of Kashmir in apparent retaliation for the destruction of a 15th-Century Muslim shrine. Police fired gunshots and tear gas to disperse them, killing at least one person Saturday.
A round-the-clock curfew remained in force for a third day across the Kashmir valley but was lifted for three hours Saturday evening in some spots outside Srinagar, the summer capital, to allow people to stock up on food.
Rioting began after the mosque in Char-e-sharif caught fire and was destroyed Thursday in a battle between Indian troops and separatist guerrillas, who had been holed up in the shrine.
The fighting in Char-e-sharif ignited fires that destroyed 1,500 homes and businesses in addition to the mosque.
Soldiers found four more bodies in the smoking ruins of the town, raising the guerrilla death toll in the three-day battle to 27, the military said Saturday. Two soldiers also were killed in the fighting.
About 100 schools, government buildings, temples and homes have been set on fire by protesters since Friday evening, the United News of India news agency said.
At least one person was shot and killed Saturday by police in Nawakadal, on the outskirts of Srinagar, officials said.
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