OCCUPIED SRINAGAR: Indian security forces have martyred six freedom fighters IIOJK in the past 24 hours while fighters shot dead a female TV performer and a police officer, officials said on Thursday, following the conviction of the region’s best-known leader.

A New Delhi court on Wednesday ordered life in jail for Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik for funding “terrorist” activities and for many other crimes. The sentencing prompted warnings from politicians that it would promote alienation and separatism in India’s only Muslim-majority region.

Shops and businesses in IIOJK remained closed for a second day of protesting against the verdict, while police detained 10 people for throwing stones and for sloganeering outside Malik’s residence.

“Three militants each of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in two separate gun battles in Kashmir since yesterday,” IIOJK Police Chief Vijay Kumar told Reuters, referring to two organisations. “We have also lost a cop in one of the operations.”

Kumar said ‘militants’ had also shot dead 35-year-old television and social-media performer Amreen Bhat on Wednesday evening.

“We are not secure here,” a protesting Hindu employee of the government, Amit, told Reuters, declining to give his second name.

“Our colleague was shot dead in his office. Our demand is relocation outside IIOJK, because every so often there is a targeted killing.”