Tragic violence erupts in Sambhal during mosque survey, resulting in three Muslim casualties amid tensions over archaeological examination of historic site.

The death toll from violent protests in India sparked by a survey into whether a centuries-old mosque was built on a Hindu temple has risen to six, an official said on Tuesday. Around 20 police officers were also wounded during the violence on Sunday in Sambhal in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, district magistrate Chirag Goyal told AFP.

In Sambhal, violence erupted during a survey of Shahi Jama Masjid, claimed to be a temple by advocate Vishnu Shanker Jain. Police intervened using tear gas after a group attacked the survey team.

Authorities closed schools and suspended internet services in a northern Indian city on Monday, officials said, a day after four people were killed in clashes sparked by an official survey probing whether a 16th-century mosque was built on a Hindu temple.

Clashes broke out between protesters and the police during a court-monitored survey of a Centuries-old mosque.