Anger has spread in some parts of India-administered Kashmir after three civilians were killed while in army custody, officials and residents said.
Locals on Saturday said the Indian army detained at least eight civilians on Friday for questioning, the day after militants fighting against Indian rule ambushed two army vehicles in the southern Poonch district, killing four soldiers and wounding three others.
The districts of Poonch and Rajouri are close to the highly militarised line of control that divides the disputed Himalayan region between India and Pakistan.
Locals accused army personnel of torturing the three to death in a nearby military camp, as their bodies bore marks of severe torture. The five other detainees were taken to an army hospital after they were severely tortured, their families said.
Protests erupted in Srinagar, the region’s main city, with at least three Kashmiri political parties staging demonstrations against the killings.
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act gives the Indian military in Kashmir sweeping powers to search, seize and even shoot suspects on sight without fear of prosecution. Under the act, local authorities need federal approval to prosecute erring army or paramilitary soldiers in civilian courts.
