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SRINAGAR (India held-Kashmir): With its persistent antagonistic posture, India Monday unleashed a new reign of terror in the forcibly occupied part of the Himalayan State by placing in cage top Kashmiri leaders as well as taking the lives of another 13 innocents, struggling — since decades — for their birth right of self-determination, in line with a pledge, given to them by an authoritative global body — the United Nations.

Those, put behind the bars also include the Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Gilani along with the head of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, Shabbir Ahmad Shah and the leader of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Javed Ahmad Mir.

All of them were taken into custody by the armed Indian troops while on their voyage to an outskirt, Bandipora from Srinagar.

In-depth

The apex and popular Kashmiri leaders were taken into captivity along with dozens of other colleagues and activists at Sumbal on Srinagar-Bandipora Highway. The others, who were arrested include Hurriyat leaders, Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar, Muhammad Yousaf Mir, Muhammad Shafi Reshi, Muhammad Rafiq Ganaie and Abdul Majid Var.

They were proceeding to Bandipora to take stock of the situation in the wake of martyrdom of five Kashmir youth by troops in the area. They had also to participate in the funeral prayers of the martyred adolescents.

Tense Situation

The situation in Bandipora town became tenser Monday, when dead bodies of another seven youth martyred by Indian troops were handed over to their relatives.

Thousands of people took to the streets in anti-India demonstrations and chanted pro-liberation slogans. The local people told media men that those martyred were among 25 persons picked up by Indian forces' personnel by force on Saturday. Complete strike was observed in the town.

Hurriyat leaders, Mian Manzoor Ahmad, Muhammad Shafi Lone, Jan Nisar Kashmiri and Maulvi Mir Ghulam Hassan addressed almost over 25,000 protestors. They managed to reach the area despite heavy barricades, erected by the Indian military in the area.

The APHC Secretary Information, Ayaz Muhammad Akbar in a statement in Srinagar today condemned Indian army for using Kashmiri youth as human shields.

India troops Martyr 13 More Kashmiris

A KMS report from Srinagar says that the seven dead bodies which were handed over in Bandipora Monday, the Indian troops in their continued acts of state terrorism martyred six more Kashmiris, taking the figure of victims to 13 in a day.

Three of them were shot dead at Tainka village in Banihal, two at Kokernag in Islamabad and one at Chandigam Sogam.

Anti-India Protests

Beating their chests and shouting anti-India slogans, thousands of angry mourners on Monday buried five villagers they said were used as human shields by the Indian army in a gunfight with Muslim guerrillas in Kashmir, an American news agency reported Monday night.

"We want freedom, down with India,'' the mourners chanted asthey marched to a local burial ground while relatives wailed.

Villagers from Chatti Bandi said the Indian army had forced several people to help with a 'counter-insurgency operation' in nearby forests on Friday, and accused the New Delhi-posted troops of trying to cover up the deaths.

Abdul Hamid, whose brother was among the dead, said the army didn't appear to be willing to return the bodies, which had been hidden in a house next to the army camp. Hamid said the villagers forcibly took away the bodies.

Many Still Missing

More people from Chatti Bandi and its adjoining villages were still missing, Hamid said. Chatti Bandi is about 60 kilometers (40 miles) north of Srinagar.

A spokesman for the Indian army denied the charges. Maj. N. Y. Sawant told Associated Press that after killing six freedom fighters, whom India calls as 'suspected militants' during the gunfight on Friday night, the army called the villagers to clear the rubble. They were, however, hit by bullets when a surviving freedom fighter fired at them from a hideout.

Sawant said there were six civilians, only one of whom survived.

Eyewitness

Abdul Majid Malla, the surviving villager, was being treated at a hospital in Srinagar for bullet wounds. "They asked us to come with them into the forest. It was dark and we could hear some gunshots. Moments later I was hit with two bullets,'' Malla told an American news agency.

Aijaz Ahmed, a government doctor who conducted autopsies on the five dead, said they suffered bullet wounds to their legs and died from excessive bleeding.

With tempers running high, the mourners on Monday attacked Abdullah Wani, having leaning with the governing People's Democratic Party, when he tried to pacify them, eyewitnesses said.

Wani suffered minor bruises before he was rescued by armed troops. Also, police prevented several Kashmiri pro-freedom leaders from joining the funeral, fearing they might further infuriate the local residents.

Police Inspector General K. Rajendra Kumar said the allegations made by the villagers were being investigated. He, however, denied that more villagers were missing from the area.

Eyewash

Meanwhile an APHC leader, Saleem Ahmad Zargar while addressing a press conference in Srinagar today said that Indian government's announcement regarding release of Kashmiri prisoners is nothing but eyewash as all the released people are smugglers and not political activists.

He said that India cannot intimidate Kashmiri leaders into submission by confining them in jails.

Amid the reign of tyranny, the occupation authorities have—once againe—extended, under the wicked and draconian ‘Public Safety Act’, the illegal and illegitimate detention of eight liberation activists, Abdul Ahad Najjar, Merajuddin Dar, Jehangir Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Ayub Bandi, Tariq Ahmad Baba, Zahoor Ahmad Wani, Mudassar Ahmad Butt and Muzaffar Ahmad Bhatti.

More than a dozen Muslim groups have been fighting forces in the Indian-occupied of Kashmir since 1989 for its independence. More than 90,000 people have died in the conflict.