Curfew and restrictions continued for the fourth consecutive day today in Leh, located in the Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The New Delhi-imposed Ladakh administration enforced the curfew on Wednesday following violent crackdowns by Indian forces on protesters demanding their rights. Indian forces’ personnel opened indiscriminate fire on demonstrators, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuring nearly one hundred. The protesters were calling for the recognition of Ladakh as a full-fledged state and the implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Internet services remain suspended in Leh district, while a strict ban on gatherings of five or more people is in place in other areas, including the adjoining Kargil district. Indian military and paramilitary forces continue patrolling the streets to suppress anti-India protests.
In a related development, police arrested prominent Ladakh environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk during a raid on his residence in Leh yesterday. He has since been transferred to Jodhpur jail in the Indian state of Rajasthan. His detention has been carried out under the draconian National Security Act (NSA).
