Thousands of Shia Muslims in Indian-administered Kashmir protest the killing of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemning US and Israeli strikes.

SRINAGAR: Several thousand Shia Muslims joined street demonstrations in Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday to protest the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Protesters holding red, black, and yellow flags converged on the main square in the heart of Srinagar, the main city of Indian Kashmir, for an emotionally charged but largely peaceful gathering.

Many chanted anti-Israel and anti-US slogans, blaming the United States and Israel for strikes that led to Khamenei’s death.

“This day we are all very heavy hearted. We are mourning our beloved leader who was martyred,” Syed Towfeeq, 40, told AFP.

Another protester, Ishfaq Wani, 43, urged Muslim countries to unite “under one flag” in response to the killing.

Similar protests were held in other places across Kashmir and other parts of India with a sizeable Shia Muslim presence.

Omar Abdullah, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir state, said he was “deeply concerned” about the developments in Iran while urging protesters to remain calm.

“We must also ensure that those who are mourning in Jammu and Kashmir are allowed to grieve peacefully,” he said on X.

Iranian state television reported Khamenei’s death in the early hours of Sunday, broadcasting archive images with a black banner.

Iranian media also reported the deaths of his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter in the strikes.

 The Sun Malaysia