Five Residents and Police Killed in Hindu-Islamic Clashes in New Delhi India

Illustration of protests in India. (Wikimedia Commons/Mfi.media)

JAKARTA - At least five people, including two police officers, were killed in clashes between Hindus and Muslims that broke out on Monday, about 50 km (30 miles) south of the capital New Delhi, police officials said.

The violence erupted after a Hindu religious procession passed through the Muslim-dominated Nuh area of ​​Haryana state, officials said.

During the night, the violence spilled over into neighboring Gurugram, where a mosque was torched, killing one cleric and wounding another.

Gurugram, formerly known as Gurgaon, borders New Delhi and is emerging as a new business hub in India, with a presence of several multinational companies.

Officials from the local government in Noah said they were investigating the cause of the clashes. Local government officials from Nuh and Gurugram met with representatives from the Hindu and Muslim communities on Tuesday to appeal for calm.

"The procession was meant to move from one temple to another but clashes occurred between two groups on the way, which resulted in the deaths of four people," Krishan Kumar, spokesman for the Nuh police, told Reuters, as quoted on August 1.

He said two of those killed were members of the house guard, a volunteer force that helps police control civil disturbances.

As well as those killed, as many as 60 people were injured in the clashes, including 10 police personnel, officials said.

A ban order has been issued in Gurugram after several cars were set on fire Monday night, while schools and colleges were directed to remain closed on Tuesday.

"The attackers (who set fire to the mosque) have been identified and some of them have been arrested," Gurugram Police said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that security around the place of worship had also been tightened.