UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed his concern over detention and torture of children in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and called upon the Modi government to protect Kashmiri children.

His call was made in the annual report on Children and Armed Conflict, launched by his Special Representative on the subject, Virginia Gamba.

He urged the Indian government to stop all forms of ill-treatment with children in prisons and enforce the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

According to the UN report, a total of 39 children were killed and wounded by pellet guns and several casualties in other actions, including 13 in crossfire and shelling across the line of control.