Protestors clash with police in Darjeeling

Protestors have clashed with police in the state of West Bengal.

In the hills of Darjeeling, Gorkha separatists and riot police hurled stones at each other, after a series of raids uncovered weapons from premises connected to the movement's chief.

The movement is demanding for a separate Gorkhaland state to be carved out of the Darjeeling hills.

However, it is fast turning into a major political crisis for chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and it is believed the violence will heavily affect the tourist industry, which is vital to the region.

More than 300 weapons, including arrows and explosives, were recovered in raids on premises connected with the Ghorkha separatist chief Bimal Gurung.

Following the raids, the separatists called for an indefinite shutdown of the hills from yesterday, 15 June.