India blocks SMS services in Kashmir after trucker killed

Text messaging services were blocked in Indian Kashmir just hours after being restored when a truck driver was killed by suspected militants and his vehicle set ablaze, authorities said yesterday.

Separately Indian officials said that a 24-year-old woman died in the latest exchange of artillery fire with Pakistan over their de-facto border dividing the blood-soaked Himalayan region.

Security sources said the decision to cut text messaging services was taken to reduce the ability of militants to communicate.

Indian authorities had only restored call and text services for mobile phones on Monday, following a 72-day blackout in the restive northern territory imposed after New Delhi scrapped the region’s semi-autonomous status.

The seven million-plus people of the Kashmir Valley—the main hotbed of

resistance to Indian rule—are still cut off from the internet, however. Authorities said SMS services were cut again on Monday night following the attack on the driver of a truck carrying apples in Shopian.

Residents said two masked gunmen told the driver to move his vehicle because it was blocking the road, but it skidded and got stuck. “The gunmen then fired at the truck and set it on fire,” a witness told AFP.

Apples are a sensitive issue in Kashmir, which exports vast quantities of the fruit to markets across India. Many orchard owners say they are refusing to harvest this year to protest against the government’s move to scrap Kashmir’s autonomy.

Indian authorities say that militants—backed by arch-rival Pakistan—have been intimidating farmers and businessmen. The latest death from Pakistani artillery fire over the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir brings the number of fatalities on the Indian side to three in the past four days, the Press Trust of India reported. Two Indian soldiers were killed in two separate incidents on Friday and Sunday, PTI said. It was unclear if there were any fatalities from Indian fire on the Pakistani side.

Also on Tuesday, police arrested 13 women activists in Srinagar after they staged a protest calling for civil liberties and the release of detainees.

 

India blocks SMS services in Kashmir after trucker killed

Text messaging services were blocked in Indian Kashmir just hours after being restored when a truck driver was killed by suspected militants and his vehicle set ablaze, authorities said yesterday. Separately Indian officials said that a 24-year-old woman died in the latest exchange of artillery fire with Pakistan over their de-facto border dividing the blood-soaked Himalayan region. Security sources said the decision to cut text messaging services was taken to reduce the ability of militants to communicate. Indian authorities had only restored call and text services for mobile phones on Monday, following a 72-day blackout in the restive northern territory imposed after New Delhi scrapped the regions semi-autonomous status. The seven million-plus people of the Kashmir Valleythe main hotbed of resistance to Indian ruleare still cut off from the internet, however. Authorities said SMS services were cut again on Monday night following the attack on the driver of a truck carrying apples in Shopian. Residents said two masked gunmen told the driver to move his vehicle because it was blocking the road, but it skidded and got stuck. The gunmen then fired at the truck and set it on fire, a witness told AFP. Apples are a sensitive issue in Kashmir, which exports vast quantities of the fruit to markets across India. Many orchard owners say they are refusing to harvest this year to protest against the governments move to scrap Kashmirs autonomy. Indian authorities say that militantsbacked by arch-rival Pakistanhave been intimidating farmers and businessmen. The latest death from Pakistani artillery fire over the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir brings the number of fatalities on the Indian side to three in the past four days, the Press Trust of India reported. Two Indian soldiers were killed in two separate incidents on Friday and Sunday, PTI said. It was unclear if there were any fatalities from Indian fire on the Pakistani side. Also on Tuesday, police arrested 13 women activists in Srinagar after they staged a protest calling for civil liberties and the release of detainees.