24 June 2017•Update: 25 June 2017
By Zahid Rafiq
SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir
An Indian paramilitary officer was killed and two other personnel were wounded when militants attacked a paramilitary vehicle in Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir, according to police.
Police chief S.P. Vaid said the slain paramilitary was a sub-inspector.
The Lashkar-e-Toiba militant group claimed responsibility for the evening attack in Pantha Chowk area.
Earlier reports suggested that the militants were holed up in nearby Delhi Public School following the attack; the school is one of the biggest schools in Kashmir with around 400 rooms.
According to eyewitnesses, the Indian army later stormed the school compound in 12 bullet-proof and mine-resistant Casspir vehicles.
"The armed forces went inside and fired shots but they could not establish any contact with the militants; so while the cordon continues around the area, it is not clear if the militants are still there or have they already escaped,” a police official present at the spot told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media.
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.
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. Kashmiri resistance groups in Jammu and 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 since 1989. India maintains more than half a million troops in the disputed region.
