SRINAGAR: Armed men attacked an Indian army post in the occupied Kashmirregion on Thursday, killing three soldiers, while two attackers died in theshootout that came amid heightened security ahead of India’s independenceday celebrations.
The attack in the Rajouri area of the disputed Muslim majority region tookplace in the early hours, and the area around the post was cordoned offafterwards as security forces conducted searches, an army official toldReuters.
“Three soldiers were killed and two were injured in the attack. However,troops fired back and killed two militants,” the official said, asking notto be named as he was not authorised to speak with the media.
Coming just days after the third anniversary of the revocation of Kashmir’sautonomy by the Indian government, the attack was sandwiched between twosignificant dates, with India set to celebrate the 75th anniversary onMonday of independence from British colonial rule.
Many Kashmiris saw the loss of special autonomy as another step in theerosion of the rights of Muslims by India’s Hindu-nationalist government.The government rejects that, saying it would promote the region’sdevelopment by drawing it closer to the rest of the country.
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The Himalayan region has been disputed by India and Pakistan since the endof colonial rule in 1947, with both countries claiming it in full butruling it in part.
India holds the populous Kashmir Valley and the Hindu-dominated regionaround Jammu city, while Pakistan controls a wedge of territory in thewest, and its ally China holds a thinly populated high-altitude area in themostly Buddhist northern Ladakh region.
