Three Indian soldiers killed in held Kashmir ambush

SRINAGAR: Militants attacked an Indian army convoy in held Kashmir on Saturday, killing three soldiers, a defence spokesperson said, in the latest in an uptick of violence in the disputed region at the heart of tensions with Pakistan.

The men were ambushed on the outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir state where Indian forces have been battling an armed revolt since 1989.



This year, after years of decline, militant violence has increased in held Kashmir, deepening a chill in ties with Pakistan whom India blames for stoking and keeping the revolt alive by sending fighters and materiel across the de factor border.

Pakistan denies the allegation and says New Delhi must agree to talks to resolve the future of held Kashmir.



Soldiers have launched a search operation to hunt the militants behind Saturday's attack, the defence spokesperson said. Last month, militants stormed an army base near Jammu, killing seven soldiers.

"A bad year in terms of security force casualties just got worse," Omar Abdullah, the leader of the main opposition group in Jammu and Kashmir, said in a Twitter post following the latest attack.