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Militants attack Indian army base in Kashmir 'killing 17'
Militants attack Indian army base in Kashmir 'killing 17'
BBC NEWS, From the section India
September 18, 2016
A curfew is already being enforced in the entire Kashmir Valley
Militants have attacked an army base in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing at least 17 soldiers, the army says.
Four of the attackers were killed, an army officer told the BBC. Carrying guns and grenades they stormed a base in Uri, close to the Line of Control with Pakistan in a pre-dawn ambush.
It is the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir in two decades.
It comes as violent protests against Indian rule in the disputed region continue, with a strict curfew imposed.
More than 80 people, nearly all anti-government protesters, have died in more than two months of violence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attacks on Twitter
A search is under way for other militants believed to be hiding in the area, according to the army.
"We salute the sacrifice of 17 soldiers who were martyred in the operation," a statement said.
Kashmir profile
The militants infiltrated across the Line of Control from Pakistan before attacking the base, west of Srinagar, the army officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Gunfire and explosions were heard for several hours.
A Kashmiri Muslim protester prepares to throw back a tear gas canister at Indian security personnel as another takes cover behind an electric pole during a protest after Eid al-Adha prayers in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016Image Image caption
Street demonstrations were sparked in July after a popular militant leader was killed
Many tents and temporary shelters caught fire during the attack, according to the army's Northern Command.
Twelve soldiers were killed by fires and the others died in gun battles, the Hindustan Times reports, citing army sources.
Disputed Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan and has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years, causing two wars between the neighbors.
A militant attack on an army camp in Uri in December 2014 saw at least nine members of the security forces killed.
The last attack of this scale on the Indian army was in June 2015 in Manipur, northeast India, when at least 20 soldiers were killed in an attack on a troop convoy.
With the Indian Home Ministry already talking about a "cross-border terror attack", there is no doubt the raid will make the already fraught relations between India and Pakistan even frostier.
But the truth is this latest upsurge in violence has a distinctly home-grown flavor.
The huge wave of protests against Indian rule that were prompted by the killing of a popular young militant on 8 July have been overwhelmingly by people from Indian-controlled areas of Kashmir.
The attack is likely to mean normal life in the province will continue to be paralyzed by the curfew imposed by the security forces for some time to come.
The Indian government says it wants to discuss how to end the violence with local leaders, but so far its overtures have been rejected by separatists who insist that the issue of Kashmiri independence must be on the table.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-37399969?post_id=1096653587012456_1296698050341341#_=_
