Srinagar, India (CNN) -- Indian police fired on pro-independence protesters in Indian-administered Kashmir Monday, killing four people and wounding 16 others, a senior police officer said.
The deaths bring to 69 the number of people killed in 87 days of violence, as demonstrators stage large protests and block highways in marches calling for independence for the region. Hundreds of others have been wounded.
Monday's violence came in Palhallan, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Srinagar,when protesters blocked a highway. Police fired to disperse the crowd after some demonstrators began throwing stones, some of them targeting a motorcade carrying the Kashmir zone police chief.
Guards accompanying the motorcade chased members of the mob, injuring some in the process, a police spokesman said.
The police administration has initiated an inquiry into the shooting, the spokesman said.
"The ammunition of the policemen is being checked to (determine) responsibility. Those found to be involved shall be proceeded against strictly according to the law," the spokesman said.
CNN
