Three suspected militants were shot dead by security forces in a crowded locality near Srinagar’s city centre on Wednesday, triggering protests in the area.

Police said the three were killed in a brief shootout in Rambagh, around 1km from the city centre. The place is 3km from Hyderpora where a controversial gunfight last week killed two businessmen and an office assistant, the reason Wednesday’s killings at Rambagh sparked outrage and claims that this trio too were innocent civilians.

The police, however, said the three were militants.

“Police #neutralised 03 #terrorists in #Srinagar. Identification & affiliation of the killed terrorists is being ascertained. Further details shall follow,” Jammu and Kashmir police tweeted.

Eyewitnesses said the police stopped a vehicle, dragged its occupants out and shot them. They said that while two of them died instantly, another was shot again and killed when he tried to escape after being hit by a bullet in the leg.

As the three bodies lay motionless on the busy road, some residents rushed to wash away the blood.

Multiple videos of the incident showed angry women shouting slogans against the police. They claimed that the three were not carrying any weapons.

“My son is three years old. Am I raising him so that one day he becomes the casualty of a gunfight while going somewhere?” a woman cried.