Terrorists attacked an army base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri this morning.
In the worst attack that Jammu and Kashmir has seen in a decade, 17 soldiers were killed as terrorists attacked an army base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri near the Line of Control. All four terrorists were killed.
Top government sources have told NDTV that the attack "is a part of Pakistan's larger game plan to spread unrest in Jammu and Kashmir".
The Kashmir valley has witnessed massive protests and violence ever since Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces on July 8. In protests since then, over 80 people have died and more than 10,000 have been injured; many of them security personnel.
The attack started around 4 am on Sunday.
The government accuses Pakistan of inciting and facilitating the unrest in Kashmir. The Pakistan government has openly supported the protests, likening them to a "freedom struggle" and lionising Burhan Wani.
Early this morning, terrorists attacked an army administrative base in Uri; the gun battle lasted nearly six hours. The terrorists, suspected to be fidayeen or a suicide squad, sneaked into the base at around 4 am and entered the administrative area, officials said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he has postponed a visit to Russia and the US that was to have started today.
The injured have been airlifted to an Army hospital in Srinagar.
"Spoke to Governor and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the terror attack in Uri. They have apprised me of the security situation in the state," he tweeted.
Uri, a town west of Srinagar, houses the army's brigade headquarters in the region along the Line of Control.
In January this year, six terrorists who had infiltrated into India through the border, entered the high security Pathankot airbase in Punjab and opened fire.
In an operation that lasted nearly three days, seven military personnel were killed.