AHMEDABAD, March 11: Two people were killed and six injured when police fired at a mob torching Muslims’ homes in a fresh outbreak of anti-Muslim violence in western India, where 700 people have died in recent clashes.

A curfew was imposed in the village of Panvad, some 100kms from Gujarat state’s main city of Ahmedabad, after Sunday night’s violence, police said.

“We had to open fire to disperse a mob which was trying to set houses on fire. Two Hindu tribesmen were killed and six injured and around 30 to 40 houses of Muslims burnt,” a police official Naval said.

Ismail Soni, a teacher in Panvad, said about 800 to 1,000 Muslims living in the village had fled the violence that started on Sunday afternoon.

“The mob attacked, looted and burnt Muslim houses, shops and vehicles. All the Muslims of the village have fled,” Soni said by phone from Baroda city.

Soni said he feared the mob would burn down the 60 to 70 Muslim houses that were unharmed in Sunday’s violence if police did not step up security.

More than 700 people have died in Gujarat since a train carrying Hindu devotees from Ayodhya was set ablaze by a mob last month.—Reuters