PHOTO
(updates with militants killed, new death toll)
By Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, India, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Militants attacked an army base near the Indian city of Jammu on Tuesday, killing three security personnel before soldiers cornered them inside the complex, officials said.
Four gunmen raided the large base in Nagrota just before dawn, and after a gunbattle that lasted several hours security forces killed the attackers, army officials said.
Three security men were also wounded during the assault that took place in India's northern Jammu and Kashmir state.
In a separate attack to the south of Jammu, Indian border forces killed three of five or six militants who were trying to sneak into India along the disputed frontier with Pakistan, police said. Three border force members were wounded as they fought to stop the militants from crossing.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been divided between arch-rivals India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947 but is claimed in full by both.
Attacks against Indian security forces have increased in recent months, although raids in the Hindu-majority Jammu area of the state are less common.
Indian and Pakistani cross-border firing along the heavily militarised frontier has also intensified as tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours has risen.
The attacks come on the same day Pakistan's new army chief, Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa, took charge. Later this week, Pakistan officials are due in the Indian city of Amritsar for an Asian regional summit.
India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants based on its side of the border who cross over to launch attacks. Pakistan denies that, accusing India of abusing the rights of Muslim Kashmiris opposed to Indian rule.
Kashmir has been gripped by protests since security forces killed a popular separatist leader in July. A crackdown in response to the protests has paralysed much of the region.
Nineteen Indian soldiers were killed in an attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir on Sept. 18 in the worst such assault in 14 years.
(Writing by Tommy Wilkes; Editing by Robert Birsel and Catherine Evans) ((thomas.wilkes@tr.com; Reuters Messaging: thomas.wilkes.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
By Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, India, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Militants attacked an army base near the Indian city of Jammu on Tuesday, killing three security personnel before soldiers cornered them inside the complex, officials said.
Four gunmen raided the large base in Nagrota just before dawn, and after a gunbattle that lasted several hours security forces killed the attackers, army officials said.
Three security men were also wounded during the assault that took place in India's northern Jammu and Kashmir state.
In a separate attack to the south of Jammu, Indian border forces killed three of five or six militants who were trying to sneak into India along the disputed frontier with Pakistan, police said. Three border force members were wounded as they fought to stop the militants from crossing.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been divided between arch-rivals India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947 but is claimed in full by both.
Attacks against Indian security forces have increased in recent months, although raids in the Hindu-majority Jammu area of the state are less common.
Indian and Pakistani cross-border firing along the heavily militarised frontier has also intensified as tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours has risen.
The attacks come on the same day Pakistan's new army chief, Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa, took charge. Later this week, Pakistan officials are due in the Indian city of Amritsar for an Asian regional summit.
India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants based on its side of the border who cross over to launch attacks. Pakistan denies that, accusing India of abusing the rights of Muslim Kashmiris opposed to Indian rule.
Kashmir has been gripped by protests since security forces killed a popular separatist leader in July. A crackdown in response to the protests has paralysed much of the region.
Nineteen Indian soldiers were killed in an attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir on Sept. 18 in the worst such assault in 14 years.
(Writing by Tommy Wilkes; Editing by Robert Birsel and Catherine Evans) ((thomas.wilkes@tr.com; Reuters Messaging: thomas.wilkes.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
