Militant attack in Kashmir kills 3 Indian policemen

By Zahid Rafiq

SRINAGAR, Jammu Kashmir

Three Indian policemen were killed and another critically wounded in a militant attack in Kashmir’s south on Tuesday, police said.

The slain policemen were deployed at a police post in Zainapora village of Shopian district.

In a statement, Jammu and Kashmir police confirmed the casualties and identified the three policemen as locals from region.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families at this juncture,” the statement said.

Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.

Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.