http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/world/asia/17-indian-soldiers-killed-by-militants-in-kashmir.html 2016-09-18 12:39:11 17 Indian Soldiers Killed by Militants in Kashmir The attack was among the deadliest in the region, where India and Pakistan have been locked in a dispute since they attained independence in 1947. === NEW DELHI — In one of the deadliest attacks in the disputed region of India “I am deeply disappointed with Pakistan’s continued and direct support to terrorism and terrorist groups,” Pakistani officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The army said the attackers, carrying assault rifles and grenades, entered the grounds of the base in Uri, a town in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir that is among those closest to the de facto border with Pakistan. Four militants were killed in the ensuing fighting, said S. D. Goswami, a spokesman for the army’s Northern Command, which oversees Kashmir. India and Pakistan have been locked in a dispute over the Himalayan region since the two countries secured independence from Britain in 1947. There has been Young people have taken to the streets to demonstrate, many by pelting stones at security forces, who have retaliated by The latest attack is sure to raise tensions between the two countries, which have fought three wars since independence, two of them over Kashmir. India has long accused Pakistan of sponsoring militant attacks in the region. Retired Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain of India, formerly with the Uri brigade, said by telephone from New Delhi that it was imperative that India respond vigorously to the attack. “You can’t defend every piece of land along a 750-kilometer-long Line of Control, but you should retaliate to send a strong message across the border,” he said, referring to the demarcation, about 470 miles. In a statement on Sunday, the army said a large number of troops had been stationed at the Uri base after returning from a tour of duty. They were housed in tents and other temporary shelters, which caught fire during the attack, resulting in heavy casualties. The area around Uri is hilly, heavily forested and crisscrossed by the Jhelum River and many streams. Substantial forces from India and Pakistan are stationed there, all but eyeball to eyeball in some places. “The militants rolled over from top of the hill, and entered from the rear side of the infantry base,” Mr. Goswami said by telephone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India The home minister, Mr. Singh, wrote that he The home minister, after the security meeting, Mohammed Aslam, who lives near the base in Uri, said he heard gunfire beginning about 4:30 a.m. on Sunday and that it continued for roughly two hours. “We were shocked and surprised when the firing started,” he said. Farooq Ahmad Khan, a teacher who also lives near the army camp, said he had not heard “this kind of firing” in the area for 20 years. He said a blast followed. “Then we saw heavy smoke coming out of the army camp from three different places.” A helicopter arrived soon afterward, he said, and began making trips into and out of the camp. Last week, India