Leh: Four people were killed and 30 others injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces during a Leh Apex Body (LAB)-sponsored shutdown in Leh town, Ladakh, on Wednesday, officials said.
Police resorted to firing to control the situation after protesters, demanding statehood for Ladakh and the extension of the Sixth Schedule, engaged in widespread violence, including attacks on a BJP office and multiple vehicles.
Authorities confirmed the casualties, while protesters asserted that the four deaths occurred due to police firing.
The LAB youth wing had called for the shutdown following the hospitalization of two of the 15 individuals who had been on a 35-day hunger strike since September 10, demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule extension. Their condition had worsened on Tuesday evening, prompting medical intervention.
