Two civilians were killed in fighting between anti-India fighters and government forces in the Indian-administered Kashmir’s Srinagar. The families of the victims accuse the Indian forces of using the two civilians as human shields during their search operation.

The military operation took place on Monday evening in Srinagar, the main city of the Muslim-majority Kashmir. According to police reports, the fighter had holed up in a building in the Hyderpora area and was eliminated by the government forces.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic protocol, the authorities in the Indian-controlled Kashmir have denied the last rites to the families of fighters killed during the military operations in Kashmir since 2020. Dozens of fighters have been buried at far-off locations guarded and inaccessible to families.

More recently, Kashmir’s tallest pro-freedom leader Syed Ali Geelani’s family was also denied his last rites, something for which New Delhi was highly criticized.

Although the right to decent burial is a fundamental right in Kashmir, it is seen as a breeding ground for anti-India sentiments and something that creates law and order problems. Human rights defenders call it a gross violation of human rights and a reason for unending pain for the kin.