JAMMU, Feb 2 (1998): Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral is to visit a Kashmiri village where nine Moslem protesters were killed by troops on the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, an official said Monday.
The official said Gujral will Tuesday visit Kadrana, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) from here, where soldiers opened fire on a crowd after an attempt to arrest two seperatist militant suspects led to violence.
Seven men, a woman and a child died and about 10 people were wounded in the incident. The army said they were forced to open fire after being attacked by the crowd.
A military inquiry has been launched into the incident.
More than 20,000 people have died in Moslem separatist violence in the disputed Himalayan state since 1989. Some separatists are demanding independence, others merger with neighbouring Pakistan.
New Delhi accuses Pakistan, which holds the northern third of the territory, of fuelling the rebellion against Indian rule. Islamabad says its support is limited to diplomacy.
Gujral went last Wednesday to a village near the Kashmir summer capital Srinagar where 23 Hindus were massacred the previous weekend by alleged Moslem militants. He directly accused Pakistan of backing the killers.
Moslem-majority Kashmir has sparked two wars between India and Pakistan since 1947. Islamabad wants a UN-brokered referendum to decide the future of the territory.
