These figures, revealed two weeks after the New Delhi decision, give for the first time an idea of ​​the extent of the measures taken by the authorities to prevent demonstrations. Indeed, since the revocation of the autonomy of Indian Kashmir, at least 4,000 people have been arrested under the law on public security, warned a magistrate on condition of anonymity.

This controversial law allows the authorities to imprison a person up to two years without charge or trial.

"Most of them were evacuated by plane from Kashmir because the prisons have no place," said the magistrate, adding that he had used a satellite phone that had been assigned to collect the figures from colleagues across the territory.

A merchant's family also said on Sunday that the merchant had died because of the tear gas spread by the police. They "fired tear gas and because of the smoke he suffocated and died," said Muddasir Ahmed, the 62-year-old nephew of Sidiq Khan.

"Thousands of people imprisoned"

When questioned, the local government interviewed did not respond immediately. Only one death had been reported so far: a young man who drowned while trying to escape the police.

The authorities have not officially indicated how many people have been detained since the beginning of this crisis, merely confirming the arrest of some 100 local politicians, activists and academics in the very first days .

They explained that they did not have an overall record of the arrests and justified "the few preventive detention" by the need to avoid "peace being disturbed" in this predominantly Muslim territory claimed by Pakistan, which is the most theater for decades of separatist rebellion.

AFP, however, was able to confirm the extent of the roundups with many local government officials in Srinagar, the main city of Indian Kashmir, including members of the police and law enforcement.

A police officer, speaking anonymously, said that in Srinagar, "about 6,000 people had undergone a medical examination after being detained".

"They are first sent to the Srinagar Central Prison, and then transported elsewhere by military aircraft," he said.

Another member of the security forces reported "thousands of people in prison", adding that this figure did not take into account other residents held in police stations without being registered.

Injured and injured

In Indian Kashmir, tensions remain high since August 5, when India revoked the constitutional autonomy of the part of Kashmir it controls.

A blackout on communications and heavy traffic restrictions had been imposed by the Indian authorities on the eve of the announcement of the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which conferred this special autonomy status on the region. Himalayan.

It was not until Friday, August 16, that India began easing some of these restrictions. Despite this, clashes were reported Saturday in several places around Srinagar, leaving eight injured, according to local authorities.

As a result, restrictions were reinstated as a result of these incidents, according to India's Press Trust of India (PTI), citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

Previously, the authorities had denied or downplayed reports of violence, and emphasized that most of the Kashmir valley had remained peaceful.

The Indian army has also confirmed that a soldier was killed Saturday during an exchange of "intense" cross-border shootings with Pakistan.

Some 80,000 more Indian paramilitaries have been deployed in Indian Kashmir, where half a million soldiers are already there.

India and Pakistan, which shared Kashmir territory after independence in 1947, have since fought three wars, two of them in Kashmir.

With AFP