GILGIT, April 7: Dozens of protesters suffered injuries when police in the new district of Astore baton-charged them on Friday and fired teargas shells to break their sit-in for establishment of the district headquarters at Eidgah, 100kms east of Gilgit.

Sources said the local administration first detained 12 members of Astore Action Committee on the pretext of holding talks and then tear gassed the protesters. The issue has been simmering for two years ever since the new district was carved out of Diamer district in October 2004.

The protests and rallies for and against Eidgah town have now become routine in Astore and last week hundreds of students clashed with the police over the issue but the unrest continues.