An attack at an Indian military camp in Kashmir left 11 soldiers and police officers dead on Friday in an assault carried out by militants India claims arrived from Pakistan.
The militants forced their way through the fence surrounding the army camp in the Uri region, on the Indian side, and hurled grenades towards the troops' bunkers, an army officer told Reuters. The next several hours were marked by a gun battle in the capital Srinagar that ended with six militants killed.
Two more rebels were also killed Friday in another exchange of gunfire with security forces in Srinagar.
Kashmir, a mostly Muslim region that lies east of Pakistan and north of India, has been claimed by both countries since 1947, when Britain's former Indian colony was divided into India and Pakistan.
The fighters have been lashing out against India since it began ruling the Kashmir region in 1989.
Indian officials blamed Pakistan for supporting the "fedayeen" militants, meaning fighters who are willing to sacrifice themselves, and allowing them to launch the attack near the border with Pakistan.
"These terrorists keep coming from Pakistan," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said according to Reuters. "Pakistan should make an effort to stop them."
Pakistan has continuously refuted India's claims, saying it only offers diplomatic support for the militants' cause, the Associated Press reported.
The militants attacked at a time of a spike in violence as India holds the last three of five elections in the region. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to give a campaign speech in Srinagar on Monday.
The attacks, however, have not deterred voters in the battle-weary region from participating in the elections, the AP reported. Election officials said turnout for the first two elections was nearly 70 percent.
