SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 18 (Xinhua) -- At least four civilians were killed and several others wounded after border guards of India's Border Security Force (BSF) fired at a group of protesters in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police sources said.
The firing incident took place at village Dadam, Gole of district Ramban, around 155 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
The protests broke out early morning outside a BSF camp in Gole to protest the alleged roughing up of a mosque prayer leader (Imam) and discretion of the holy Quran at the hands of BSF personnel.
The injured were immediately rushed to hospital in Ramban.
The locals said BSF personnel barged into a local mosque on Wednesday night and beat up the Imam, besides desecrating the holy Quran. The BSF action enraged locals who staged massive protests outside BSF camp on Thursday morning.
"Last night BSF men entered the mosque and desecrated the holy Quran and roughed up the Imam," Altaf Tragwal, a local said over telephone from Gole. "The BSF action enraged locals who took to streets to stage protests this morning but were dispersed by BSF men by firing bullets."
Tragwal said so far four people have been killed and people have assembled around their bodies.
"More than 20 people are wounded and some of them are in critical condition," said Tragwal.
The killings have swelled the protests and people have blocked the traffic on Srinagar- Jammu highway, the only road that connects the region.
Meanwhile, officials are tightlipped over the matter. "We have reports that BSF men fired at protesters in Ramban and several people were wounded," said a police spokesman at Police Control Room in Jammu on telephone.
The situation is tense in Ramban and protests are likely to spread to other parts in the region. Reports said region's top officials have been rushed to the scene to pacify the protesters.
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