PULWAMA (Occupied Kashmir), Dec 13: One person was killed and 34 others were injured as police opened fire and used teargas to break up anti-election protests during voting in occupied Kashmir on Saturday.

The 20-year-old man was killed in police firing in a village south of Srinagar racked by a nearly two-decade-old resistance against India’s occupation, police said.

It was the first election-day fatality since the start of elections on Nov 17. Authorities have ordered a probe into the shooting.

The polling is being held in seven stages. Saturday’s balloting in the southern districts of Pulwama and Shopian marked the fifth round of voting.

Fifteen policemen and 19 protesters were hurt in scattered demonstrations, said a district police officer. Two were in critical condition, according to a doctor at Srinagar’s main hospital.

Pro-independence politicians have called for a boycott, arguing elections strengthen New Delhi’s hold over the disputed Muslim-majority region.

Indian authorities stagger the polls in order to move troops around to provide security in the heavily militarised region. Srinagar goes to the polls in the last phase on Dec 24.—Agencies