[4] 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.

[7] 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.

[8] Protesters, predominantly youth, defied curfews and restrictions, shouting pro-independence slogans, burning police vehicles, and targeting government buildings.

[15][16] On 30 April 2010, the Indian Army claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid from across the Line of Control, at Machil Sector in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir by killing three armed militants from Pakistan.

Media reports earlier in march had suggested that with the support of its intelligence agencies Pakistan has been once again 'boosting' Kashmir militants and recruitment of 'martyrs' in Pakistani state of Punjab.

On 11 June, Tufail Ahmad Mattoo a 17-year-old student, who was there to protest "peacefully" against atrocities was killed after being hit in the head by a tear gas shell.

[27][28] The mob pelted stones and bricks at the riot police and in response the Indian forces used tear gas, rubber bullets and in some cases live ammunition resulting in death of some of the unarmed protestors.

In August, the government responded by imposing curfews in the disturbed areas and by deploying Rapid Action Force (RAF) in the Srinagar valley to control demonstrations.

The year 2010 opened the Pandora's box for the Indian government which responded to the chaos by using live ammunition which resulted in death of more than hundred protestors.

On 18 September, a large procession in Anantnag defied curfew, carrying the body of Maroof Ahmad Nath, who drowned while fleeing police.

After "agitating mobs attempted to torch government property", security forces opened fire, killing Noorul Amin Dagga and injuring five.

[42] Prime minister of India Manmohan Singh expressing concern over the deaths asked for revisiting operating procedures and "non-lethal, yet effective and more focussed" crowd control measures to deal with the violent protesters.

Their leader Ramesh Manvati, belonging to Panun Kashmir, stated: "The security forces must be provided the constitutional protection as they are playing crucial role in preservation of the country's sovereignty.

Written invitations included Kashmiri separatists Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, who had been excluded from a previous all-party meeting in 2008 during the Amarnath land transfer controversy.

The measures included release of all the students arrested during the protests, reopening of schools, discussions on reducing the number of security forces in Kashmir and appointment of a group to begin sustained dialogue with the Kashmiris.

[16] The army convicted seven soldiers, including two officers, and sentenced them to life imprisonment for a staged killing of three Kashmiri civilians and passing it off as an anti-militancy operation for rewards and remunerations in J&K in 2010.

[56][57][58] On 27 July 2017, The Armed Forces Tribunal suspended the life sentence of the five army personnel including a Colonel and a Captain who had been convicted by a General Court Martial in 2014 for staging the killing of three Kashmiri civilians at Macchil in 2010 and branding them as foreign militants for brass medals and cash rewards.