2010 Kashmir unrest

The 2010 Kashmir unrest was a series of violent protests and riots in the Kashmir Division, Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal regions of Northern Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It began in June 2010 after the Indian Army claimed to have killed three Pakistani infiltrators. However, it was later revealed that three young men from Nadihal village in Baramulla district were killed in a staged encounter at Sona Pindi by a soldier of the Territorial Army, a counter-insurgent, and a former special police officer. This incident, later known as the Machil fake encounter, sparked outrage across the region, contributing to the violent protests that followed.

The protests were initially led by separatist leaders from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who called for the complete demilitarisation of Jammu and Kashmir. The APHC also condemned the human rights abuses allegedly committed by security forces in the region and called for a general strike to demand justice and accountability. Protesters, predominantly youth, defied curfews and restrictions, shouting pro-independence slogans, burning police vehicles, and targeting government buildings. The unrest further escalated following the death of 17-year-old student Tufail Mattoo, whose killing by security forces sparked widespread protests. The riot police consisting of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Para-military forces fired teargas shells rubber bullets and also live ammunition on the protesters, resulting in 117 deaths, including many teenagers and an 11-year-old boy. The protests subsided after the Indian government announced a package of measures aimed at defusing the tensions in September 2010.