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AP EXPLAINS: For 69 years, Kashmir is torn by deadly strife

SRINAGAR, India (AP) - When news spread that Indian troops had killed 22-year-old Burhan Wani, a charismatic commander of Indian-controlled Kashmir's biggest rebel group on July 8, the public response was spontaneous and massive. Tens of thousands of angry youths poured out of their homes in towns and villages across the Himalayan region, hurling rocks and bricks and clashing with Indian troops.

A curfew and a communications blackout has failed to stop the protests. The violence has left 48 civilians dead as government forces fired live ammunition and pellets to try to quell the unrest. About 2,000 civilians and 1,500 police and soldiers have been injured in the clashes.

But Kashmir's fury at Indian rule is not new. The stunning mountain region has known little other than conflict since 1947, when British rule of the subcontinent ended with the creation of India and Pakistan.

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THE HISTORY

The Himalayan kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir was asked to become part of one of the two newly independent nations. But Maharaja Hari Singh, the unpopular Hindu ruler of the Muslim-majority region, wanted to stay independent.

A raid by tribesmen from northwestern Pakistan forced Singh to seek help from India, which offered military assistance on condition that the kingdom accede to India. The ruler accepted but insisted that Kashmir remain a largely autonomous state within the Indian union, with India managing its foreign affairs, defense, and telecommunications.

The Indian military entered the region soon after, and the tribal raid spiraled into the first of two wars between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. The war ended in 1948 with a U.N.-brokered ceasefire. Nonetheless, Kashmir became divided between the two young nations by a heavily militarized Line of Control, with the promise of U.N.-sponsored referendum in the future.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, many saw the transition as the mere transfer of power from their Hindu king to Hindu-majority India. Kashmiri discontent against India started taking root as successive Indian governments breached the pact of Kashmir's autonomy. Local governments were toppled one after another, and largely peaceful movements against Indian control curbed harshly.

Pakistan continued raising the Kashmir dispute in international forums, including in the U.N. India began calling the region its integral part, saying that Kashmir's lawmakers had ratified the accession to New Delhi.

As the deadlock persisted, India and Pakistan went to war again in 1965, with little changing on the ground. Several rounds of talks followed, but the impasse continued.

In the mid-1980s, dissident political groups in Indian Kashmir united and contest elections for the state assembly. The Muslim United Front quickly emerged as a formidable force against Kashmir's pro-India political elite. However, the front lost the 1987 election, widely believed to have been heavily rigged.

A strong public backlash followed. Some young MUF activists crossed over to Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, where the Pakistani military began arming and training Kashmiri nationalists.

By 1989, Kashmir was in the throes of a full-blown rebellion.

India poured in more troops into the already heavily militarized region. In response, thousands of Kashmiris streamed back from the Pakistani-controlled portion with guns and grenades. More than 68,000 people have been killed since then.

Though the militancy waned, popular sentiment for "azadi," or freedom, has remained ingrained in the Kashmiri psyche. In the last decade, the region has made a transition from armed rebellion to unarmed uprisings as tens of thousands of civilians frequently take to the streets to protest Indian rule, often leading to clashes between rock-throwing residents and Indian troops. The protests are quelled by deadly force.

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RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In 2008, a government decision - later revoked - to transfer land to a Hindu shrine in Kashmir set off a summer of protests. The following year, the alleged rape and murder of two young women by government forces set off fresh violence.

In 2010, the trigger for protests was a police investigation into allegations that soldiers shot dead three civilians and then staged a fake gunbattle to make it appear the dead were militants and claim rewards for the killings.

In all three years, hundreds of thousands of young men and women took to the streets, hurling rocks and abuse at Indian forces. At least 200 people were killed and hundreds wounded as troops fired iknto the crowds, inciting further protests.

The crackdown appears to be pushing many educated young Kashmiris, who grew up politically radicalized amid decades of brutal conflict, toward armed rebel groups. Young Kashmiri boys began snatching weapons from Indian forces and training themselves deep inside Kashmir's forests.

The number of militants has, however, remained minuscule, not crossing 200 in the last several years.

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ANTI-INDIA GROUPS

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference is a conglomerate of social, religious and political groups formed in 1993. It advocates the U.N.-sponsored right to self-determination for Kashmir or tripartite talks between India, Pakistan and Kashmiri leadership to resolve the dispute.

The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, or JKLF, was one of the first armed rebel groups. It favors an independent, united Kashmir. Currently led by Mohammed Yasin Malik, the group gave up armed rebellion in 1994, soon after Indian authorities released Malik from jail after four years.

Hizbul Mujahideen is Kashmir's largest and the only surviving indigenous armed rebel group. Formed in 1990, the group demands Kashmir's merger with Pakistan. Its supreme commander Syed Salahuddin is based in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The group was led in Indian Kashmir by Burhan Wani until his death on July 8.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba is a Pakistani-based group fighting for Indian Kashmir's merger with Pakistan. The United States lists it as a terrorist group. Its leader, Hafiz Saeed, is on a U.S. terrorist list with a $10 million bounty on his head. He's also one of India's most wanted. New Delhi blames the group for several deadly attacks in Indian cities, including the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people.

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PRO-INDIA GROUPS

The Jammu Kashmir National Conference is a pro-India political group that has ruled Kashmir for the most part since 1947. Its most recent leaders, Farooq Abdullah, and his son, Omar Abdullah, the current opposition leader in the state assembly, are seen as the strongest proponents of India in Kashmir.

The Jammu Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party emerged in early 2000s as the strongest opponent to the NC, with pro-separatist leanings for electoral gains. It soon came to power in 2002. It currently rules Indian Kashmir in coalition with India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

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Follow Aijaz Hussain at www.twitter.com/hussain_aijaz

FILE - In this Jan. 23, 1990 file photo, young Muslim separatists brandish weapons on a street defying curfew and demanding independence in Kashmir, in Srinagar, India. By 1989 Kashmir was in the throes of a full blown anti-India rebellion. India poured in more troops into the already heavy militarized region to control the rebellion. In response to the crushing militarization of the region thousands of Kashmiris began crossing over to Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and returning with guns and grenades. (AP Photo/Ajit Kumar, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this May 25, 1990 file photo, a Kashmiri paints a graffiti that reads "Indian Army Get Out From Kashmir" on a street in the old city of Srinagar, India. By 1989 Kashmir was in the throes of a full blown anti-India rebellion. India poured in more troops into the already heavy militarized region to control the rebellion. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown that has left ordinary Kashmiris traumatized. (AP Photo/Barbara Walton, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this May 23, 1996 file photo, Kashmiri protesters flee from Indian security forces after their procession, held against the first parliamentary elections held in much of Kashmir valley, was broken up in Baramulla, India. By 1989 Kashmir was in the throes of a full blown anti-India rebellion. India poured in more troops into the already heavy militarized region to control the rebellion. In response to the crushing militarization of the region thousands of Kashmiris began crossing over to Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and returning with guns and grenades. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown that has left ordinary Kashmiris traumatized. (AP Photo/John Moore, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this Sept. 18, 1996 file photo, Kashmiri militants are held captive by Indian soldiers in the border village of Handwara, India. By 1989 Kashmir was in the throes of a full blown anti-India rebellion. India poured in more troops into the already heavy militarized region to control the rebellion. In response to the crushing militarization of the region thousands of Kashmiris began crossing over to Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and returning with guns and grenades. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown that has left ordinary Kashmiris traumatized. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this Jan. 23, 2002 file photo, an Indian Border Security Force soldier stands guard as Kashmiri Muslims sit on the roadside during a cordon and search operation, to flush out any possible hidden separatist militants, in Srinagar, India. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown that has left ordinary Kashmiris traumatized. Though the militancy waned, popular sentiment for Azadi, or freedom, has remained ingrained in the Kashmiri psyche. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this June 16, 2005 file photo, Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, front second right, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik, second left, and others walk over a foot bridge on the Line of Control in Kaman Post, 125 kilometers (78 miles) north of Srinagar, India, after a two-week visit to Pakistan to boost efforts by the South Asian nuclear rivals to settle their decades-old dispute over the Himalayan region. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference is a conglomerate of social, religious and political groups formed in 1993. Its advocates U.N.-sponsored right to self-determination for Kashmir or tripartite talks between India, Pakistan and Kashmiri leadership to resolve the Kashmir dispute. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front or JKLF was one of the first armed rebel groups in the region. It favors an independent, united Kashmir. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this May 2, 2005 file photo, relatives watch the funeral of Atiq-Ullah Shah, a relative of Jammu Kashmir state Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who was shot by rebels as he left a mosque, at Bijbehara, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Srinagar, India. Sayeed's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged in early 2000s as the strongest opponent to the pro-India political group National Conference that has ruled Kashmir for the most part since 1947, with pro-separatist leanings for electoral gains. It soon came to power in 2002. However, in 2016, the party now rules Indian-Kashmir in coalition with India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2008 file photo, Kashmiri Muslims wave Pakistan's national flag during the funeral procession of Sheik Abdul Aziz, leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), in Srinagar, India, who was killed when police fired into a large crowd of Muslims attempting to march to the Pakistan-controlled portion of Kashmir to protest the blockade by Hindus of the highway linking the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference is a conglomerate of social, religious and political groups formed in 1993. Its advocates U.N.-sponsored right to self-determination for Kashmir or tripartite talks between India, Pakistan and Kashmiri leadership to resolve the Kashmir dispute. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin, File) The Associated Press
FILE - This April 5, 2016 file photo shows a view of Srinagar, the main city of Indian controlled Kashmir, as seen from the 18th century Hari Parbat Fort situated atop a hill. The stunning mountain region has known little other than conflict since 1947 when British rule of the subcontinent ended with the creation of India and Pakistan in 1947. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this March 16, 2010 file photo, relatives mourn at the funeral of Khursheed Ahmad, who was killed when two suspected rebels opened fire in a crowded shopping district, at Hawoora village, some 34 kilometers (21 miles) west of Srinagar, India. The stunning mountain region has known little other than conflict since 1947 when British rule of the subcontinent ended with the creation of India and Pakistan in 1947. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown that has left ordinary Kashmiris traumatized. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2014 file photo, Indian policemen sit on a wooden stair as they take a break near the site of a gunbattle in Shempora, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, India. The stunning mountain region has known little other than conflict since 1947 when British rule of the subcontinent ended with the creation of India and Pakistan in 1947. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown that has left ordinary Kashmiris traumatized. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) The Associated Press
FILE - In this Oct. 3, 2013 file photo, a Kashmiri Muslim girl watches the aftermath of a gunbattle between Indian security forces and suspected militants on the outskirts of Srinagar, India. The stunning mountain region of Kashmir has known little other than conflict since 1947 when British rule of the subcontinent ended with the creation of India and Pakistan in 1947. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown that has left ordinary Kashmiris traumatized. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this June 28, 2012 file photo, Indian Hindu pilgrims walk in line as they journey to the to the remote Himalayan shrine of Amarnath at 3,888 m (12,756 ft) above sea level to worship an icy stalagmite representing Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, near Shashnag, 115 kms (71 miles) from Srinagar, India. In 2008, a government decision, later revoked, to transfer land to the Hindu shrine in Kashmir set off a summer of protests. The next year, the alleged rape and murder of two young women by government forces set off the violence. In 2010, the trigger was a police investigation into allegations that soldiers shot dead three civilians and then staged a fake gun battle to make it appear the dead were militants and claim rewards for the killings. at least 200 people were killed and hundreds wounded as troops fired live ammunition into the crowds as young men and women took to the streets, hurling rocks and abuse at Indian forces. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2010, file photo, Kashmiri protesters shout slogans near a burning government vehicle after they set it on fire during a protest protesting Indian rule over the Himalayan region at Barthana neighborhood in Srinagar, India. Between 2008-2010, at least 200 people were killed and hundreds wounded as troops fired live ammunition into the crowds as young men and women took to the streets, hurling rocks and abuse at Indian forces. The crackdown appears to be pushing many educated young Kashmiris, who grew up politically radicalized amid decades of brutal conflict, towards armed rebel groups and sparking renewed militancy in the region. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this July 9, 2016 file photo, Kashmiri villagers pray during the funeral of Burhan Wani, chief of operations of Indian Kashmir's largest rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen, in Tral, some 38 Kilometers (24 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. When news of Wani's killing spread, tens of thousands of angry youths poured out of their homes in towns and villages across the troubled region, hurling rocks and bricks and clashing with Indian troops defying a curfew. The protests were the most massive the region has witnessed in recent years. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this July 14, 2016, file photo, Indian paramilitary soldiers stop a Kashmiri woman in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, during curfew imposed to check anti-India violence following the recent killing of Burhan Wani, chief of operations of Hizbul Mujahideen, Kashmir's largest rebel group. When news of Wani's killing spread, tens of thousands of angry youths poured out of their homes in towns and villages across the troubled region, hurling rocks and bricks and clashing with Indian troops defying a curfew. The protests were the most massive the region has witnessed in recent years. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) The Associated Press
FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2016 file photo, smoke rises from a building where suspected militants have taken refuge during a gunbattle in Pampore, near Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. The stunning mountain region of Kashmir has known little other than conflict since 1947 when British rule of the subcontinent ended with the creation of India and Pakistan in 1947. Since 1989, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown that has left ordinary Kashmiris traumatized. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan, File) The Associated Press
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