Indian Army cracks down in Kashmir, kills 13.

NEW DELHI -- The Indian Army deployed on the streets of the disputed region of Kashmir on Wednesday, seeking to quell angry street protests that have convulsed the valley.

The protests, aimed at forcing India to withdraw its paramilitary forces from the predominantly Muslim Kashmir Valley, have raged for weeks, killing at least 13 people and paralyzing life in the region, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan.

The streets of Srinagar, the state capital, were deserted as the authorities enforced a strict curfew. The army presence was light and limited to a few patrols, officials in Kashmir said.

"The army has been asked to stand by to help the civil administration," said Taj Mohi-ud-Din, a senior minister in the state government.

Demonstrations in the streets of towns and cities across Kashmir are a regular feature of the summer months in the valley, but they have become particularly heated in recent weeks in the wake of allegations that police officers and soldiers brutalized civilians. The police and paramilitary forces have fired on groups of stone-throwing youths, and television news channels showed Indian forces firing directly into crowds of protesters.