MORE than a dozen protests erupted across Kashmir today, with government forces firing tear gas into the crowds in the disputed Himalayan region after soldiers killed four civilians and two suspected militants.

The shooting at a military checkpoint late last night threatened to spark even more unrest in a region that in recent years has seen renewed rebel attacks and protests against Indian rule.

The authorities locked down parts of the densely militarised region, deploying soldiers and riot police, shutting schools and internet services and ordering people off the streets.

But widespread anger, along with funerals for the six killed and separatist calls for a business shutdown, helped ignite angry demonstrations, with thousands shouting slogans against India’s army and demanding the end of New Delhi’s rule over Kashmir.

Many protests centred around the town of Shopian, where the shooting occurred.

The trouble began when authorities say a car refused to stop at a checkpoint outside a Shopian military base and militants inside fired at the soldiers.

Indian army spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said a rebel and three civilians were killed when soldiers fired back. A fourth civilian’s body was recovered from a nearby car, officials said, and the body of another rebel was found a few miles away. Authorities said he’d been injured in the shooting and died later.

Col Kalia called the slain civilians “over-ground workers,” meaning people who give support to rebels.

The police, however, were careful not to use that term — calling them simply “young men.” And Kashmir’s top elected official, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, said they were “civilians.”

But across the region, most people believed all were killed in cold blood. The soldiers “shoot even at shadows, and they’re employing every tactic to suppress people,” said Bashir Ahmed, a Shopian resident.

In January, anti-India protests erupted across Kashmir after soldiers shot and killed three civilians during clashes in the same area.

Indian troops are shielded from prosecution while serving in Kashmir, they can raid homes and make arrests without warrants and use deadly force against suspected separatists.

Rights activists accuse Indian troops in Kashmir of routinely misusing their power, killing civilians in staged confrontations for promotions or rewards and to suppress public sentiment against Indian rule.