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Thursday March 28, 2024

Eight Indian soldiers killed in attack in Occupied Kashmir

By AFP
August 26, 2017

SRI NAGAR: A day-long gun battle Saturday left at least 10 dead in Occupied Kashmir as gunmen stormed a police facility in a pre-dawn attack, authorities said. 

The gunmen, believed to be three in number, detonated grenades and fired automatic assault rifles to gain entry to the police headquarters in southern Pulwama district which also houses families of some officers, director general of police S.P. Vaid said.

One police officer was killed in the initial assault, while three paramilitary troops were injured and evacuated to a nearby hospital, he said.

"Three more police officers and four CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) soldiers were killed later during the attack," Vaid told AFP.
Two attackers were killed and government forces were searching for the third attacker, believed to be holed up in the compound, he said. 

All the families in the compound were evacuated and the attackers had taken no hostages, police said in an earlier statement. 

Authorities cut off mobile internet services in the district to prevent residents from organising anti-India protests.

In recent months, residents, sometimes entire villages, have increasingly hit the streets and thrown stones at soldiers.

Security forces fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators after sporadic protests broke out close to the police facility, an officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.