Two shot dead during Held Kashmir protests

The soldiers retaliated but the freedom fighters escaped in a taxi rickshaw and later allegedly killed its driver and two other civilians. They then barricaded themselves in a house and took the seven people hostage.

Police chief K Rajindera Kumar alleged the men had entered Jammu from Pakistan after cutting through a border fence on Tuesday. The army said they would launch a “final assault” on the house only after ensuring the hostages were safe, Goswami said.

Meanwhile, authorities briefly relaxed a curfew in parts of Srinagar to allow residents to stockpile food and medicine.

“I had no food and fuel left,” said Imtiaz Wani, a bank employee, who took home bread, rice and kerosene.

“We will lift the curfew in phases to ensure there is no law and order problem,” police officer Pervez Ahmed said.