SRINAGAR (AP) - Indian forces used tear gas and pellet guns to quell thousands of stone-throwing protesters who took to the streets after special Eid prayers on Friday in the Indian portion of Kashmir.
A police officer said dozens of protesters, police and paramilitary officers were injured in the clashes at several places in Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
The protesters chanted "We Want Freedom," and "Down with India" as they marched through the streets of Srinagar after offering prayers in mosques.
The clashes erupted as thousands of policemen and paramilitary soldiers deployed in the city asked them to disperse.
The injured included 19 police and paramilitary soldiers, said Kishore Prasad, a spokesman for the Central Reserve Police force.
Several separatist leaders had been put under house arrest on Thursday night to stop them from leading the protests on the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which caps the fasting month of Ramadan.
The protests spread to several towns across the Indian portion of Kashmir, with clashes between police and resident reported in the towns of Sopore and Anantnag.
Shops and businesses were closed in the region because of the Eid holidays.
Anti-India feelings run deep in Kashmir, where about a dozen rebel groups have been fighting against Indian rule since 1989. More than 65,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed.
The rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian troops in recent years, and resistance is now principally expressed through street protests.
The Kashmiri insurgents have been fighting for independence from India or merger with Pakistan.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan. They have fought two wars over its control since they won independence from Britain in 1947.
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