Twelve killed in Indian Kashmir violence amid virus lockdown

An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard during a search operation in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Nine suspected militants and three soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said on Sunday (April 5). - AP

SRINAGAR: Nine suspected militants and three soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said on Sunday (April 5), as authorities enforced a lockdown to combat the spread of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Kashmir, a restive region claimed by nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, had already been under a long-running curfew imposed to quell unrest as New Delhi scrapped the Himalayan valley's semi-autonomous status on August 5.