Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said he strongly condemns the “new cycle of killings of innocent Kashmiris by Indian security forces”. His statement follows the deaths of seven civilians in an explosion at an encounter site in Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

“It is time India realised it must move to resolve the Kashmir dispute through dialogue in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” Khan wrote on Twitter.

On Sunday, Indian security forces killed three suspected militants during the encounter in Kulgam district’s Laroo village. Two soldiers were injured in the gunfight. Soon after, the police tweeted that civilians ignored requests to avoid visiting the site while they searched for explosives. Later, police expressed “regret” over the deaths but stressed that “such sites should be avoided till properly sanitised”.

Earlier on Monday, separatist group Joint Resistance Leadership called for a shutdown to protest the deaths. The group said it was preparing a memorandum which will be sent to the United Nations secretary general. “The memorandum will be made available on social media and all Kashmiris will sign it as a mark of hate against Delhi’s inhumanity in Kashmir,” the statement said.