SRINAGAR, India — Three people wounded during recent protests against Indian rule died in Kashmir on Sunday ahead of a visit by a delegation of lawmakers seeking ways to defuse months of civil unrest.
Thousands of armed troops patrolled the deserted streets of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir's largest city, and other major towns and enforced a curfew for the seventh day.
The three men hurt during street battles with government forces last week died in hospitals in Srinagar, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
The Himalayan region has been rocked by widespread protests against Indian rule since June, with at least 105 people killed in clashes with security forces. With protests escalating over the past week, the government on Friday deployed the army for crowd control.
The human rights group Amnesty International urged Indian authorities to investigate the killings and order government forces to stop the use of lethal force against demonstrators.
"Amnesty International calls on the Indian authorities to take urgent steps to ensure respect for the right to life," the London-based group said in a statement late Friday.
Authorities relaxed curfew restrictions for seven hours in some parts of Srinagar on Saturday to allow residents to stock up on food and medicine.
Lawmakers from all major Indian national parties are to arrive in Srinagar on Monday to meet with Kashmiri leaders to find ways to address their long-standing demands. However, Kashmiri separatists said they would not meet with the delegation and have dismissed it as a public relations stunt by the Indian government.
Since 1989, a violent separatist insurgency and an ensuing crackdown by Indian forces have killed an estimated 68,000 people, mostly civilians, in Kashmir.
While that rebellion has been largely suppressed, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep, and the region remains heavily militarized with hundreds of thousands of troops, checkpoints along main roads, and harsh emergency laws still in force, creating further friction with the population.
Tens of thousands of mainly Muslim protesters have taken to the streets in recent months, stoning troops and demanding independence from Hindu-dominated India or a merger with Muslim-majority Pakistan. Kashmir is divided between the neighboring countries and is claimed by both.
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