OCCUPIED SRINAGAR: Police in the Himalayan region of IIOJK have asked journalists to refrain from live coverage of gun battles with freedom fighters fighting Indian rule in the territory or protests, calling such reports a provocation amounting to interference in their duties.

India has deployed tens of thousands of police and soldiers to keep the peace in the disputed Muslim-majority region after revoking its constitutional autonomy in 2019 to weld the region more tightly to the country.

In an order this week, the police chief in the IIOJK Valley set out new guidelines for journalists covering the insurgency, in which freedom fighters attacks have targeted security forces.

"No operational content should be carried which is likely to incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order, or which promotes anti-national sentiment," police chief Vijay Kumar said.