In 1989, a widespread armed insurgency started in Kashmir, which continues to this day. India contends that this was largely started by the large number of Afghan mujahideen who entered the Kashmir valley following the end of the Soviet Afghan war.

Yasin Malik, a leader of one faction of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation front, along with Ashfaq Majid Wani and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karatay, was one of the Kashmiris to organize militancy in Kashmir. However since 1995, Malik has renounced the use of violence and calls for strictly peaceful methods to resolve the dispute.

India claims local insurgents are Islamic terrorist groups from Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Afghanistan, fighting to make Jammu and Kashmir part of Pakistan. It believes Pakistan is giving armed help to the terrorists, and training them in Pakistan. It also says the terrorists have been killing many citizens in Kashmir, and committing human rights violations, while denying that its own armed forces are responsible for the human rights abuses.

US Intelligence agencies believe that AlQaeda and Taliban are helping organize a terror campaign in Kashmir to increase conflict between India and Pakistan.

The Pakistani government calls these insurgents, Kashmiri freedom fighters, and claims that it gives only moral and diplomatic support to these insurgents, though India believes they are Pakistan-supported terrorists from Pakistan Administered Kashmir.

A member of the public was rushed to hospital in Srinagar during rioting. Local youths and political groups throw stones at Kashmiri Police and the much more heavily armed, Indian Central Reserve Police Force. The rioting started after two girls were raped and murdered by the police force.