A SILENT protest took place on Sunday after the killing of security personnel in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday last week.

An array of community groups organised the protest at the war memorial outside the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council offices after the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad carried out a suicide bomber attack which killed at least 40 paramilitary police.

Groups such as HSS (Basingstoke), the Basingstoke chapter of BHAS (Bengali Hindu Adarsha Sangha), Basingstoke Hindu Society and other local Indian organisations like Basingstoke Indo Cultural Association has collectively organised the silent protest.

Candles were lit for those who died and their photos placed in front of the memorial while a petition was signed by almost 200 members of the community which will be handed over to the Basingstoke MP Maria Miller.

The petition requested her to condemn the attack in Parliament and ban Pakistan-sponsored events on Kashmir in Parliament.

The BBC has reported that although Jaish-e-Mohammad is based in Pakistan, the country has has denied any role in the attack. Both India and Pakistan claim all of Muslim-majority Kashmir but control only parts of it.