2nd LD Writethru: Attack inside military installation in Indian-controlled Kashmir kills 3 troopers

Three troopers including an officer were killed and a few others wounded Tuesday in a militant attack on a military installation in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, local media reports said.

The attack was carried out Tuesday morning by a fidayeen (suicide attackers) group at a major army base camp in Nagrota, about 281 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Three soldiers have been killed in a major attack on an army base near Jammu," a local television news channel NDTV said. "Heavily armed suicide attackers entered the base in Nagrota before daybreak on Tuesday with guns and grenades and forced their way in."

Indian military so far have not confirmed any casualties in the attack.

Officials said a heavy exchange of fire was underway in the camp.

Reports said the attackers who stormed the camp have taken positions in the officers' location and targeting army positions from there.

Locals in the vicinity told Xinhua that they heard gunfire and sound of blasts at the camp.

Officials said the number of attackers inside the camp were believed to be between three and four.

Following the attack, the area was immediately cordoned off with reinforcements to take on militants inside the camp.

Authorities have ordered closure of all the schools in Nagrota in the wake of the attack.

Nagrota is a huge military installation in Jammu and headquarters of Indian army's 16 Corps in the region.

In Sept. this year, a similar attack on Indian army's camp in Uri town, northwest of Srinagar, left 19 troopers dead and many others wounded.

Following the attack in Uri, Indian army claimed it carried out "surgical strikes" inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, inflicting significant casualties on infiltrators and their supporters, which triggered tensions between the two neighbours.

The confrontation saw increase in cease-fire violations on Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Kashmir between the two countries.

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain that their troops gave befitting reply.

The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on 720 km-long LoC and 198 km IB in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the cease-fire, however, remains in effect.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Endit