By Shazia Yousuf
SRINAGAR, Indian-held Kashmir
At least six people have been killed during a clash between Kashmiri militants and Indian security forces in the Indian-held Kashmir on Friday morning.
A civilian, a police officer and at least two security forces personnel were killed, while nine others were wounded in the Kathua district of Kashmir.
According to sources in the Indian police, at least two militants, who were also killed, stormed an Indian police station early Friday, leading to an hours-long gunfight.
The attack happened around 15 kilometres from the Working Boundary between India and Pakistan, at the Raj Bagh Police station in Kathua, which houses both local police and the Central Reserve Police Force paramilitary.
“There were six policemen inside the police station at the time of the attack. The militants first killed the police guard posted outside the premises and then another of our personnel,” a police official said.
Police officials said the police station was cordoned off and reinforcements were sent to provide support. Police began a search operation after the gunbattle ended at around midday local time.
This is the first major militant strike in the disputed region since the formation of a new regional coalition government which, for the first time, includes the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
“These Fidayeen will have walked across the border last night & launched their attack this morning which is the past pattern as well,” former Chief Minister of the region Omar Abdullah said on the micro blogging site Twitter. “My thoughts are with those brave security personnel dealing with the Fidayeen attack in Kathua town of Jammu this morning.”
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.
The two countries 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 and India maintains a military presence of more than half a million soldiers.
