LEH, India: Indian police patrolled the northern city of Leh on Thursday, a day after protests demanding greater autonomy for the Himalayan territory of Ladakh turned deadly when security forces opened fire.
At least five people were killed and about 100 wounded, including 30 police officers.
The city - usually bustling with tourists - appeared deserted, with most main roads blocked by coils of razor wire and guarded by police in riot gear, a reporter said.
A doctor at Leh's SNM Hospital said they had treated about 100 injured people since Wednesday, some of them police.
"We have operated upon six injured people, three of them had bullet injuries and others internal bleeding in the chest and broken ribs," said the doctor, who asked not to be identified.
Protests erupted on Wednesday, with crowds demanding greater autonomy in the sparsely populated, high-altitude desert region that is home to some 300,000 people.
India's Ministry of Home Affairs said that an "unruly mob" had attacked police, reporting in a statement issued late on Wednesday that "more than 30" officers were injured.
Protesters torched a police vehicle and the offices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, while officers fired tear gas and used batons to disperse crowds. - AFP
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