SRINAGAR, March 15: Indian soldiers on Wednesday shot dead two suspected militants in occupied Kashmir whose bodies were later carried shoulder-high by supporters shouting anti-India slogans, police said.

Police said the slain militants belonged to the Jaish-i-Mohammed.

The heavy gunbattle sparked panic in the highway town of Pampore, 15 kilometres south of Srinagar, residents said.

Later, several thousand people carried the bodies of the two militants shoulder high and shouted anti-India slogans, they said.

Meanwhile, at least eight people were hurt on Wednesday when riot police baton-charged survivors of earthquake who were demanding more financial help, police said.

Several hundred protesters blocked the main highway in northern Baramulla district to demonstrate against what they said was “inadequate monetary compensation” to erect new houses and to renovate damaged ones. Police fired several warning shots in the air but did not succeed in dispersing the protesters.

“We had to resort to baton-charging and firing teargas shells to disperse them and make way for traffic,” a police officer said, adding eight people received minor injuries in the police action.—AFP