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Friday, 24 March, 2000, 15:23 GMT
Kashmiris protest at Sikh killings

Police fired teargas to break up the protest

Police have used batons and tear gas to break up a demonstration by hundreds of Muslims in Indian-administered Kashmir.

They were marching to protest against the recent massacre of 36 members of the Sikh minority by suspected Muslim militants on Monday.

The protestors converged near Srinagar's Jamia Masjid (Grand Mosque) soon after Friday prayers.

They shouted slogans expressing solidarity with the Sikh and Hindu communities in the Muslim-dominated state.



Sikhs have been outraged at the attack
Sikhs across the Kashmir Valley have blamed Muslim militants for the massacre at Chhitti Singhpora and have sought a guarantee from them that such incidents will not occur again.

But most of Kashmir's Muslims suspect government agencies might be behind the attack.

They said the killings were carried out to malign their on-going separatist struggle.

Appeal for calm

Senior leaders of the Muslim and Sikh communities also met in Srinagar in an effort to restore confidence between the communities.

A Sikh delegation, led by the former head priest of Akal Takht, Ranjit Singh, met the acting chairman of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, Umar Farooq.

The Akal Takht is Sikhism's highest religious and temporal seat.

The Indian authorities said on Friday that a man arrested at the scene of the massacre had pointed to the involvement of two Pakistani-backed groups.

According to Home Secretary Kamal Pande, the man - named as Mohammad Yaqoob - "disclosed that the carnage was perpetrated by a joint group, predominantly consisting of foreign mercenaries."

"Further investigations are going on."

The 17-strong group was led by members of Lashkar-e Taiba and Hizb-ul Mujahedin, Mr Pande said.

Militant groups have denied any involvement in the attack.

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23 Mar 00 | South Asia
Crackdown on Sikh protests
21 Mar 00 | South Asia
Eyewitness: Outpouring of grief
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Safety fears for Kashmir's Sikhs
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