Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The past year has seen a surge in unrest and violence in Indian-administered Kashmir

Eight people have been killed and scores injured after police clashed with protesters during a by-election in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Paramilitary forces fired bullets and shotgun pellets as people protesting against Indian rule stormed polling stations near Srinagar on Sunday.

Separatist leaders had called for a boycott of the vote.

Muslim-majority Kashmir is at the centre of a decades-old territorial dispute between India and Pakistan.

India accuses Pakistan of supporting separatist sentiment in Kashmir, but Islamabad denies this. Both countries claim Kashmir in its entirety and control different parts of it.

The region has seen heightened tension and increased unrest since July last year when influential militant Burhan Wani was killed by Indian forces.

Reports said the voter turnout in Sunday's election was a mere 7% - the lowest in three decades.

Two schools were set on fire by unknown protesters, The Times of India reported.

Security was tightened on Monday across the region - roads were blocked with barricades and some train services were also suspended.

Why were they protesting?

Rebel groups in Indian-administered Kashmir have for decades called for either independence or a union with Pakistan.

These groups have rejected local elections and urged voters to boycott Sunday's poll, which took place after a politician resigned over what he described as the "anti-people" agenda of the Indian government.

Image copyright EPA Image caption There was tight security at polling stations in Srinagar

The Indian government deployed tight security ahead of the polling, with 20,000 additional troops sent to the area.

Internet services were also shut down in an attempt to hold a peaceful poll.

How did the violence escalate?

On Sunday thousands of protesters charged into polling stations in the Budgam district.

The state's chief electoral officer Shantmanu told AFP news agency that protesters damaged and snatched voting machines.

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption About 20,000 extra Indian troops were deployed for the by-election

Clashes erupted when police and troops moved in and used tear gas - and later opened fire - on protesters, who fought back by pelting stones.

Mr Shantmanu told reporters later that there were more than 200 incidents of violence including petrol bomb attacks and a polling station set on fire.

What happened to the by-election?

Polling had to be suspended in some places, while voters generally stayed away.

Another by-election, to fill a separate parliamentary seat, is set to take place in the Anantnag district on 12 April. The results of both polls are expected on 15 April.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Mr Abdullah was the former chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir

Farooq Abdullah, a former chief minister for Indian-administered Kashmir and a candidate for the by-election, has condemned the violence.

He told reporters: "Elections should have been peaceful. This government has failed in giving a peaceful atmosphere for people to come and vote."</s>Police fire bullets and shotgun pellets, killing eight civilians during protests against by-election in Srinagar.

At least eight civilians were killed on Sunday when security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir opened fire on protesters during a by-election, according to officials.

Local rebel leaders had called for a boycott of the vote, which was held to fill a vacant seat after a member of parliament resigned to protest the killing of civilians during a sweeping security crackdown last year.

READ MORE: Mirza Waheed - 'Violence will not end Kashmir conflict'

State and paramilitary police fired bullets and shotgun pellets as thousands of protesters shouting slogans against Indian rule charged into voting booths in Budgam district near the main city of Srinagar. Protests spread to Srinagar when reports of the first killings came from the Charare-e-Sharif area of Budgam.

Waheed Para, spokesman for the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), told Al Jazeera eight people were killed in the clashes.

Dozens of other civilians and government personnel were also wounded, according to Shantmanu, the state's chief electoral officer.

Officials said protesters threw petrol bombs and stones, and set voting machines and government vehicles ablaze.

More than a dozen polling stations were shut due to violence.

"This is a reaction to what is happening in Kashmir, because people are getting killed mercilessly," a young protester in Srinagar, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisal, told Al Jazeera.

"The youth are coming out to express our anger and dissent in every way possible," he added.

Para, the PDP spokesman, said: "We regret these killings. It will take some time to bring back a conducive environment in the state."

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the disputed territory in its entirety. Most people in India's portion favour independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Only 6.5 percent of voters on Sunday turned out to cast their ballot, Shantmanu said, 26 percent less than in the last elections held in 2014 and the lowest ever participation recorded in any election in the disputed territory.

A 40-year-old shopkeeper in Srinagar, who spoke to Al Jazeera on the condition of anonymity, said he did not cast his vote because "these elections don't mean anything".

"If any change is to happen in Kashmir, politicians should bring a political revolution of the Kashmir dispute."

Ahead of polling, authorities suspended internet services across the Kashmir valley for three days for fear of protests. The Indian government also sent in 20,000 additional paramilitaries to augment the 500,000 soldiers deployed there.

Police had also detained hundreds of young people and separatist activists in the run-up to the poll, sources told AFP.

The by-election in Srinagar was held to fill a seat in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament. A second by-election in the state for a separate Lok Sabha seat is set to take place on April 12 in Anantnag.

The results of both polls are expected to be announced on April 15.

READ MORE: The doctors treating Kashmiris blinded by pellets

Rebel groups in Indian Kashmir have for decades battled troops and police, demanding independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.

Armed encounters between rebels and government forces have become more frequent since the killing of a popular rebel leader by security forces last July sparked widespread unrest.

The violence has killed scores of civilians and wounded more than 12,000 civilians and security force personnel.

Fahad Shah contributed to this report from Srinagar.</s>SRINAGAR: Three people were killed and more than a dozen injured on Sunday when police clashed with protesters during a by-election in Srinagar in India's disputed Kashmir region, an official said.

Separatist factions in Kashmir had called for a boycott of the by-polls, resulting in heightened security and low voter turnout when the polling began.

In Budgam district, police used tear gas to counter stone-pelting protesters, but was then forced to open fire, killing three people, a senior police official told Reuters.

Overall, more than a dozen people were injured during the clashes across central Kashmir on Sunday, the official said.

The by-election in Srinagar is being held to fill a vacant seat in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament. A second by-poll in the state for a separate Lok Sabha seat is set to take place on April 12 in Anantnag. The results of both polls are set to be announced on April 15.

India and Pakistan, which claim Kashmir in full but rule only in part, have fought two of their three wars over the disputed region since independence.

India accuses Pakistan of backing separatist fighters - a charge Islamabad denies. The state has been in a phase of unrest since last year when Indian security forces killed separatist leader Burhan Wani.

The violence since then, largely in the form of troops firing on civilian crowds with shotguns after protesters throw stones, has left 84 civilians dead and more than 12,000 civilians and security force personnel wounded.</s>SRINAGAR: Six people were killed and more than two dozen injured on Sunday when police clashed with protesters during a by-election in Srinagar in India's disputed Kashmir region, a senior police official said.

Separatist factions in Kashmir had called for a boycott of the vote, resulting in heightened security and low voter turnout when the polling began.

In Budgam district, police initially used tear gas against protesters who were throwing stones, but then opened fire, killing six people, the senior police official told Reuters.

More than two dozen people were injured during the clashes across central Kashmir on Sunday, the official said.

At least 70 polling stations were shut due to the violence, while at some stations voting machines were set ablaze by the protesters.

The by-election in Srinagar is being held to fill a vacant seat in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament. A second by-election in the state for a separate Lok Sabha seat is set to take place on April 12 in Anantnag. The results of both polls are expected to be announced on April 15.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence over Kashmir, which each claims in full but rules only a part.

India accuses Pakistan of backing separatist fighters - a charge Islamabad denies. There have been a spate of protests since the killing by security services of separatist leader Burhan Wani.

The violence has killed 84 civilians and wounded more than 12,000 civilians and security force personnel.</s>Six civilians were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir when police opened fire on protesters who stormed polling stations during a byelection for a parliamentary seat, a top officer has said.



State and paramilitary police fired bullets and shotgun pellets as thousands of protesters who were shouting slogans against Indian rule charged into voting booths in Budgam district near the main city of Srinagar.

“Violent protests happened at many places in Budgam. Protesters damaged and snatched EVMs [electronic voting machines] at some places,” Shantmanu, the state’s chief electoral officer who uses one name.

“It was not a good day for all of us. Six civilians were killed and 70 were wounded.”

Hospital sources in Srinagar said that many of the injured had gunshot wounds.

Shantmanu said more than 100 government personnel, including police and paramilitary officers injured in the clashes.

Two of the civilian deaths occurred in the Charare-e-Sharif area of Budgam when the paramilitary border security force fired at protesters, he said.

Another person was killed in the Beerwah area when paramilitary officers opened fire at acrowd after people started throwing stones.

Three more were killed in the day-long clashes, with two of them succumbing to multiple pellet injuries from the shotguns which Indian paramilitary forces use in Kashmir for crowd control.

Polling had to be halted in more than dozen places amid a call for a boycott of the byelection by top Kashmiri separatist leaders opposed to Indian rule.

Only 6.5%of voters turned out to cast their ballot, Shantmanu said, the lowest ever participation recorded in any election in the disputed territory.

Farooq Abdullah, a former chief minister of the state who is contesting the Srinagar seat, lambasted the government for its failure to maintain law and order.

“Elections should have been peaceful. This government has failed in giving a peaceful atmosphere for people to come and vote,” he told reporters.

Authorities suspended internet services across the Kashmir Valley in the run-up to the polling because of concerns about widespread protests.

Police had also detained hundreds of young people and separatist activists, sources told AFP.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both countries claim the disputed territory in its entirety.

Rebel groups in Indian Kashmir have for decades battled troops and police, demanding independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.

About 500,000 Indian soldiers are deployed in the region.

An additional 20,000 paramilitary personnel were sent in before Sunday’s election.

Armed encounters between rebels and government forces have become more frequent since the killing of a popular rebel leader by security forces last July sparked widespread unrest.

Police and army officials say dozens of local youths have joined the rebel ranks since then.

At least 29 armed militants, mostly locals, have died fighting government forces this year.</s>Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal, that are part of Lok Sabha seat, have no Internet connections</s>Indian police impose curfew-like curbs across parts of region, a day after deadly clashes between protesters and police.

Indian police have imposed curfew-like curbs on movement of people across several parts of Indian-administered Kashmir, a day after clashes with protesters during a by-election killed eight people and injured more than 200.

Separatist factions in Kashmir have called for a two-day strike in protest on Monday.

Their calls to boycott the poll in Srinagar, and the ensuing violence, resulted in voter turnout of a mere seven percent on Sunday and forced 70 polling stations to shut down.

During clashes in Budgam district, police initially used tear gas against protesters who were throwing stones, but then opened fire, killing seven people, a senior police officer told Reuters news agency.

One protester was killed in a separate incident.

"This is a reaction to what is happening in Kashmir, because people are getting killed mercilessly," a young protester in Srinagar, who declined to give his name for fear of reprisal, told Al Jazeera.

"The youth are coming out to express our anger and dissent in every way possible."

Waheed Para, spokesman for Jammu and Kashmir state's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), told Al Jazeera: "We regret these killings. It will take some time to bring back a conducive environment in the state."

Shantmanu, chief electoral officer of Jammu and Kashmir, said "more than 200 incidents of violence" were reported on Sunday, including stone-pelting, petrol bomb attacks and setting ablaze of a polling station.

The by-election was held in the key city of Srinagar to fill a vacant seat in India's lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha.

A second by-election in the state is set to take place on April 12 in Anantnag.

"We are worried about Anantnag polls because it is a more sensitive area," the police official said.

Security was beefed up on Monday across Kashmir, with police blocking roads with barricades and restricting movement of vehicles.

Some train services were also suspended in the region, a railway official said.

Kashmir, part of India's only Muslim-majority state, witnessed deadly protests after a well-known separatist commander was killed last year.

The violence has killed 84 civilians and wounded more than 12,000 civilians and security force personnel.

In a separate incident on Monday, Rajesh Kalia, Indian defence official, said four suspected fighters were killed after they tried to infiltrate along the frontier with Pakistan near an area known as the Keran sector.

"We noticed movement of militants early in the morning and killed them during an ambush," Kalia said.

REAd MORE: Mirza Waheed: 'Violence will not end Kashmir conflict'

Details of the incident could not immediately be independently verified.

Neighbours India and Pakistan claim divided Kashmir in full, but governs separate parts.

Two of the three wars they have fought since independence from Britain in 1947 have been over Kashmir.

Last September, tension escalated as armed men killed 19 Indian soldiers at an army camp in Kashmir, an attack India blamed on Pakistan-based fighters.

India accuses Pakistan of backing separatist fighters in the Himalayan region, a charge Pakistan denies.</s>SRINAGAR: Six people were killed and more than 100 injured on Sunday when police clashed with protesters during a by-election in Srinagar in India's disputed Kashmir region, officials said.

Separatist factions in Kashmir had called for a boycott of the vote, resulting in heightened security and low voter turnout as the polling began.

In Budgam district, police initially used tear gas against protesters who were throwing stones, but then opened fire, killing six people, the senior police official told Reuters.

More than 100 were injured during the clashes across central Kashmir on Sunday, the official said. At least 70 polling stations were shut due to the violence.

"There were more than 200 incidents of violence...which included stone-pelting, petrol bomb attacks, setting ablaze of a polling station," the state's Chief Electoral Officer Shantmanu told reporters.

The "tentative turnout" was 6.5 percent, Shantmanu said, adding that a decision on re-polling in violence-hit areas would be taken later.

The by-election in Srinagar is being held to fill a vacant seat in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament. A second by-election in the state for a separate Lok Sabha seat is set to take place on April 12 in Anantnag. The results of both polls are expected to be announced on April 15.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence over Kashmir, which each claims in full but rules only a part.

India accuses Pakistan of backing separatist fighters - a charge Islamabad denies. There have been a spate of protests since the killing by security services of separatist leader Burhan Wani.

The violence has killed 84 civilians and wounded more than 12,000 civilians and security force personnel.</s>SRINAGAR, India (AP) - The Indian army says four suspected rebels have been killed in disputed Kashmir as businesses and schools shut in the region in response to a separatists' call to protest the killing of eight civilians by government forces during a weekend by-election.

Army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia says a gunbattle erupted Sunday night after the four militants crossed from Pakistani territory into the Indian-held portion of Kashmir in Keran sector. There was no independent confirmation of the incident.

Meanwhile, a strike called by separatists paralyzed life in the Kashmir Valley on Monday.

Government forces opened fire on Sunday on crowds of people who attacked polling stations during a by-election for a vacant seat in India's Parliament, killing eight people.

Most people in Indian-controlled Kashmir favor independence or a merger with Pakistan.</s>SRINAGAR, India (AP) - Officials in India's portion of Kashmir say five people were killed when security forces opened fire on crowds of people who attacked polling stations where voting for a by-election was taking place.

Chief electoral officer Shantmanu said protesters tried to snatch or damage electronic voting machines in at least a dozen places in the districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal on Sunday.

The deaths occurred when security forces fired after clashes broke out with protesters who wanted to stop the election for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency. The seat had fallen vacant after a lawmaker resigned to protest the killing of civilians during unrest last year.

Police said many protesters were injured in the violence.

Anti-India separatists who challenge India's sovereignty over Kashmir had called for a boycott of the by-election.

A Kashmiri man injured during anti India protests shouts slogans as he is brought for treatment outside a hospital in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Sunday, April. 9, 2017. The anti India protests happened during a first phase of by-elections to an Indian Parliament seat in the troubled region. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
Six people are killed in clashes between protesters and police near Srinagar in the disputed region of Kashmir Valley, during a by-election for a vacant seat in the Indian Lok Sabha.