Indian Kashmiris protest student's killing by army

SRINAGAR - THOUSANDS of protesters poured into the streets in restive Indian Kashmir on Saturday after a student was shot dead by the army.

The new unrest raised memories of massive anti-India protests that rocked the Muslim-majority region last summer in which at least 114 people were killed, most of them shot by security forces.

Manzoor Ahmad Magray, 21, a student, was killed by Indian troops late Friday in Handwara, 80km north of the region's summer capital Srinagar, police said.

Thousand of people marched in the streets on Saturday to voice their anger, television footage showed.

Indian military spokesman J.S. Brar said in a statement that the army regretted Magray's death but added that 'troops fired after he paid no heed to their signal to stop.' Handwara-based police superintendent Mohammad Aslam said: 'We have registered a murder case against the army in connection with the incident.' 'The situation is tense but under control,' Mr Aslam told AFP.

Kashmir state chief minister Omar Abdullah, who was accused last year of allowing civilian unrest to spiral out of control, expressed his sorrow at the death. -- AFP