By Shazia Yousuf
SRINAGAR, Indian-held Kashmir
Just two days before Indian premier’s first rally in Indian-held Kashmir, four separate militant strikes left 21 dead and rattled the entire Indian security apparatus in the disputed valley Friday.
A militant attack on a heavily-fortified Indian army camp in Uri sector near the Line of Control along the Indian-held Kashmir resulted in the death of eight Indian army soldiers, three policemen and six militants, authorities said.
Earlier, it was reported that five policemen were killed, however, the figure was revised down to three.
“A group of heavily-armed terrorists opened heavy fire with automatic weapons at an Army camp in Mohura at around 3 a.m. today. Army troops from within the camp retaliated immediately and engaged the six terrorists and killed them. During the intense operations, one officer and seven soldiers of the Army, one officer and two constables of the local police were also killed,” an Indian army spokesperson said.
The Indian army alleged that all six slain militants were foreigners and had come dressed in Indian army uniform.
Uri is a heavily-fortified border area that has a massive presence of two Indian Army brigades and two Border Security Forces battalions.
The army said they also recovered six AK rifles with 55 magazines, two shotguns, two night-vision binoculars, four radio sets, 32 unused grenades and one medical kit from the slain militants.
Hours after the gunbattle in northern Indian-held Kashmir ended, police killed two suspected militants in Ahmad Nagar area on the outskirts of Srinagar in a gunbattle, authorities said.
The valley also saw two grenade blasts in southern Indian-held Kashmir that killed two civilians and wounded nine others.
With 21 casualties in less than 12 hours, Friday has been the bloodiest day in Indian-held Kashmir in the recent past.
The attacks came while state assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are in progress to form a local government under the Indian constitution.
The resistance leadership in Indian-held Kashmir opposes the elections and instead demands self-determination for Kashmiris.
Uri, where Friday's attack happened, is going to polls on Tuesday.
Security has been increased in the valley after the attacks and mobile checkpoints have been set up at numerous places. Police and army are also carrying out body searches of the entire local population in various areas.
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, expressed sorrow over the Friday attacks and called it a "terrible day."
Abdullah said he hoped the home ministry would take steps to plug the gaps in the counter insurgency grid. “Once again shows the desperate levels militants will go to disrupt peace and normalcy,” Abdullah tweeted.
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.
The Line of Control has seen heightened tension over the past months. After months of cross border shelling between border forces of India and Pakistan that killed and wounded dozens of civilians on both sides, Friday’s attack was the third biggest militant activity.
On Dec. 1, Indian army intercepted a group of militants in Naugam sector of northern Kashmir's Kupwara district that resulted in the deaths of six militants and an Indian army officer.
On Nov. 27, a gun battle between militants and Indian forces killed three civilians, three soldiers and three militants.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965 and 1971 – since they were partitioned in 1947, two of which were fought over Kashmir.
Since 1989, Kashmiri resistance groups in Indian-held Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.
More than 70,000 people have reportedly been killed in the conflict so far.
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