Pre-dawn attack on army base

SRINAGAR: Suspected rebels using guns and grenades sneaked into a crucial army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir yesterday and killed at least 17 soldiers in the deadliest attack on a military base in the disputed Himalayan region in recent years.

Four rebels were killed as the soldiers returned gunfire after the surprise assault before dawn on the base, located near the Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Loud explosions were heard and several barracks caught fire in the attack. Afterwards, military helicopters hovered over the base as the army conducted “mopping-up” operations.

Officials said at least 30 soldiers were wounded in the attack, including about a dozen who were in critical condition.

The base, in the town of Uri, west of the region’s main city of Srinagar, houses the Indian army’s regional brigade headquarters along the de facto border separating Indian- and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.

Army officials said it appeared that they had killed all four rebels involved in the attack. Investigations suggested that they belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed, militants based in Pakistan, that has been active in Kashmir for 15 years.

Army officials said the rebels had entered on the Indian side of Kashmir from the Pakistanicontrolled part. – AP