Militants kill Indian police officer, 2 troops in southern Kashmir: Police

Three Indian troops have been killed after several militants launched an attack against a military base in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police say.

An unspecified number of heavily-armed militants carried out a predawn attack against a police headquarters in the southern district of Pulwama in the restive Kashmir valley on Saturday, killing a police officer and fatally injuring two paramilitary troops, police said in a statement.

It said the militants lobbed grenades and fired automatic assault rifles in an attempt to storm the base but faced heavy resistance from police and troops, adding that one of the militants managed to enter the government compound but was fatally wounded by police gunfire.

At least six police personnel and paramilitary troops also sustained injuries by the militants’ indiscriminate firing during the clashes, the statement said.

Director General of Police S.P Vaid said the district headquarters also housed families of some officers but “we are evacuating the families from there.”

Police also said the exact number of militants, who were holing up in the compound, was not immediately known.

The so-called Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group, which is based in Pakistan, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the deadly assault.

Back in April, suspected militants also attacked a military base in Kupwara town near the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto borderline that divides the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, killing three Indian soldiers.

Last September, however, at least 18 Indian army personnel were killed, when a group of militants stormed a police complex in the town of Uri, some 10 kilometers east of the LoC. The assault is considered as one of the deadliest attacks against the Indian police in the Himalayan region, which is perceived as one of the world's most dangerous potential flash points.

India regularly accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants and pushing them across the restive frontier in an attempt to launch attacks on Indian forces. Pakistan strongly denies the allegation.

India has already deployed some 500,000 soldiers to the disputed region to further boost the security of the borderline and suppress pro-independence demonstrations in its share of Kashmir, where anti-India sentiments are high.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947. Militant groups have also for decades been fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan.

The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory. Despite a ceasefire agreement that was reached in November 2003, sporadic skirmishes continue in Kashmir.

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