Indian armed forces martyred four freedom fighters in Indian-held Kashmir on Saturday, police said, as the disputed Muslim-majority territoy simmers under a lockdown imposed by New Delhi after it revoked its constitutional autonomy in August. Three freedom fighters were martyred in the Batote market area of Jammu where, according to officials, they had taken a local civilian hostage inside his house.

The hostage was recued unharmed, a spokesman for the central reserve police force told journalists. Another freedom fighter was killed in an encounter in Kangan in the north of the region, Dilbagh Singh, director general of Jammu and Kashmir police told AFP. Singh also said freedom fighters had thrown a grenade in the Safakadal area of held Srinagar city but that no one was injured in the incident. Security forces had tightened restrictions in held Kashmir and the Hindu-majority Jammu region on Friday, fearing protests ahead of speeches at the UN by the leaders of India and Pakistan.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019