Forty people were hurt yesterday in revolt-hit Indian Kashmir when police fired teargas to break up protests over alleged rights abuses as a strike paralysed much of the state, police said. Police said a crowd of 700 demonstrators shouting "Down with the Indian army" and "We want freedom" blocked a key highway northeast of the main city of Srinagar leading to a major Hindu pilgrimage site.

"We had to fire shots in air and resort to teargassing and baton charges to disperse the protesters," police officer Nazir Ahmed said, adding 30 people were hurt in the melee. Police reported no serious injuries.

Tensions have been rising between Kashmiris and security

forces - battling to suppress a nearly two-decade-old separatist insurgency in the Muslim-majority region - over a slew of recent alleged rights abuses.

The latest unrest came after a soldier killed a civilian on Thursday after shooting into an angry crowd who saw him embracing a teenager in Kangan town near Srinagar, the urban hub of the revolt, which has claimed more than 42,000 lives.

Police said the soldier later killed himself with his rifle. Witnesses said the soldier had opened fire in panic at the sight of the crowd.

Meanwhile, in Srinagar, police hurled scores of teargas canisters to disperse several hundred demonstrators protesting alleged rights abuses by troops, a police spokesman said, adding ten people were hurt.