A 22-year-old youth died on Tuesday, a day after he was injured in his head when the police chased him in Kangan area of Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, Greater Kashmir reported.

Locals had claimed the man was hit by a bullet, but the police said he fell down during the chase. Doctors said he had a firearm injury that had caused internal bleeding in his brain.

The incident had triggered protests in the area on Monday, which prompted authorities to issue prohibitory orders on Tuesday. Two civilians and 10 policemen were injured during clashes in the area on Tuesday.

This comes the day when the United Nations expressed concern over the deaths of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir. Secretary-General António Guterres is “very concerned” about the situation and believes any loss of civilians needs to be investigated, his spokesperson had said on Monday.

Guterres’ spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said this in response to a question about the deaths of civilians, including three children, in recent days in Jammu and Kashmir. The journalist asking the question had attributed the deaths to the Indian Army. Three children were among five who died in what India said was shelling from the Pakistani side on March 18 along the Line of Control in Poonch district.

“The secretary‑general is, indeed, very concerned about the situation that we’ve seen in Jammu and Kashmir,” Dujarric said. “He reminds that member states are responsible under international humanitarian law to protect civilians. The secretary‑general reiterates his call on member states to find ways to address disputes in a peaceful manner.”

He said civilians need to be protected wherever they are.