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Police fire on Kashmir protesters Police fire on Kashmir protesters
(about 8 hours later)
At least two people have been killed and dozens injured after police in Indian-administered Kashmir fired shots to disperse Muslim protesters. A senior separatist and four others have been killed after police in Indian-administered Kashmir fired shots to disperse stone-throwing Muslims.
Clashes erupted in Srinagar and the nearby town of Sopore when thousands of Muslims marched towards the Line of Control dividing the disputed region. Sheikh Abdul Aziz was among thousands of protesters who marched towards the Line of Control (LoC) dividing the region. Dozens of others were hurt.
They support fruit growers who want to take produce over the de facto border. They were supporting a move by fruit growers in the mainly Muslim Kashmir valley to take produce across the LoC.
Muslims in the Kashmir valley say they face a road blockade by Hindus in the state as part of a row over land. Tensions are rising and threaten peace hopes after years of relative calm.
Stones The BBC's Chris Morris in Delhi says the Indian government was slow to realise how volatile the situation had become - and opposition parties were quick to try to use the situation to their own advantage.
The BBC's Altaf Hussain in Srinagar says the fruit growers have vowed to take their produce across the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the Indian and Pakistani-controlled portions of the disputed territory. He says the result is that Kashmir has reached a very dangerous point - more divided along communal lines than it has been for years.
Rotting fruit
Thousands of fruit growers and other protesters began their march on Monday from Sopore, 50km (30 miles) north of Srinagar, the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz was a prominent leader of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, which opposes Indian rule.
He and four others were killed when local police opened fire on the demonstrators, reports said. An indefinite curfew has now been imposed in Srinagar.
If the blockade continues it will be a disaster for us Mohammad Yousuf, Kashmir Fruit Growers' Association Violence threatens Kashmir peaceIf the blockade continues it will be a disaster for us Mohammad Yousuf, Kashmir Fruit Growers' Association Violence threatens Kashmir peace
The only surface link between the region and the rest of India is through the Hindu-dominated Jammu area in the south of the state, which both India and Pakistan claim. Police say several of their personnel were injured by stones thrown by those at the protest.
Hindus in Jammu have protested for weeks since plans to transfer land to be used by pilgrims visiting the Amarnath shrine in the valley were scrapped. The demonstrators were attempting to march to the de facto border with Pakistani-controlled Kashmir to protest at a blockade by Hindus in the Jammu region of a key highway that links the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India.
With the highway blocked for days, our correspondent says, the fruit growers complain their produce is rotting. Hindus have protested for weeks since plans were scrapped to give land to a Hindu trust to build facilities for pilgrims near an important shrine in the region.
The authorities have stepped up security on the main road south but tensions have brought a decrease in traffic. Many drivers say they are too frightened to travel. With the highway blocked for days, the Muslim fruit growers have complained that their produce is rotting.
Thousands of fruit growers and other protesters began their march from Sopore, 50km (30 miles) north of Srinagar, the state's summer capital. Dozens of protesters were injured, some after being beaten by police
Police say several of their personnel were injured by stones thrown by protesters. "We have suffered a loss of at least 20m rupees [about $475,000] since this agitation began," Mohammad Yousuf, president of the Kashmir Fruit Growers' Association, told the Reuters news agency.
All routes leading to the fruit market in Srinagar have been sealed.
On Sunday night, police sealed most fruit markets and warehouses and deflated tyres of lorries loaded with fruit.
One fruit merchant, Farooq Ahmed, told the BBC that the police had taken away about 30 lorries laden with fruit during the night.
This protester was beaten by police
"We have suffered a loss of at least 20m rupees [about $475,000] since this agitation began," Mohammad Yousuf, president of the Kashmir Fruit Growers' Association, told Reuters news agency.
"And if the blockade continues it will be a disaster for us.""And if the blockade continues it will be a disaster for us."
Police are also stopping people from going on the road from Srinagar to the town of Baramullah, which leads to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In the Qamarwari area of Srinagar, police also fired rubber bullets to break up a demonstration of thousands of people.
In Srinagar's Qamarwari area, police fired rubber bullets to break up a demonstration of thousands of people.
Senior separatist leaders have been placed under house arrest.Senior separatist leaders have been placed under house arrest.
India's Home Minister Shiv Raj Patil has appealed to the fruit growers to call off their march. The Indian Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, has appealed to the fruit growers to call off their protests.
He has offered to buy all the fruit from the growers and also to pay compensation to those whose fruit has perished. He has offered to buy all their fruit and also to pay compensation to those whose fruit has perished.
RiotsRiots
The row started when the state government said it would grant 40 hectares of forest land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. The row started when the state government said it would grant 99 acres (40 hectares) of forest land to the Amarnath Shrine Board.
Muslims launched violent protests, saying the allocation of land was aimed at altering the demographic balance in the area.Muslims launched violent protests, saying the allocation of land was aimed at altering the demographic balance in the area.
The state government said the Amarnath Shrine Board needed the land to erect huts and toilets for visiting pilgrims. The state government said the shrine board needed the land to erect huts and toilets for visiting pilgrims.
But following days of protests, the government rescinded the order, leading to violent street protests by Hindu groups in Jammu. But following days of protests, the government rescinded the order, prompting Hindu groups to mount violent protests of their own.
At least 15 people - Muslims and Hindus - have been killed and hundreds wounded in clashes with police since the unrest began in June. About 20 people - Muslims and Hindus - have been killed and hundreds wounded in clashes with police since the unrest began.
Worsening relations between the two communities come after years of relative calm and are worrying India's government.