11 killed in attack on police post in Kashmir

SUSPECTED Islamic rebels attacked a police post in troubled Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing nine police officers and two civilians, police said yesterday.

Another eight police officers and one civilian were wounded in the attack on Saturday night in the Gool area of Udhampur district, 95 miles north of Jammu, a police officer said.

Four other police officers were missing, he said. Suspected guerrillas killed an armed police guard outside the post and then barged inside, spraying bullets which killed another eight police officers and two civilians, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Some officers returned fire but the attackers escaped, the officer said.

At least three groups separately claimed responsibility for the attack, which lasted nearly an hour.

It was the second major assault by suspected rebels in Indian-held Kashmir in the past few days. On Friday, suspected rebels killed seven people, including three police officers, in the town of Punch.

More than a dozen militant groups have been fighting for Kashmir’s independence from India or its merger with neighbouring Pakistan since 1989.

More than 61,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

Yesterday, a man who claimed to be a spokesman for the Jamiat-ul-Mujahedeen rebel group called a news agency office in Jammu and said the attack was carried out by his group and another rebel organisation, Harkat-i-Jehadi Islami.

Hours later, another rebel group, Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen, said in Pakistan that its members had also joined the other rebels in the attack.

In a telephone call, Abu Sumahaya, who identified himself as the group’s spokesman, said rebels from a fourth group also participated in the attack.

Sumahaya said he was calling from Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Pakistani-controlled portion of Kashmir.

Kashmir’s biggest guerrilla outfit, Hezb-ul-Mujahadeen, also took responsibility for the attack.

Hezb spokesman Salim Hashmi said the attack was revenge for the killing of one of their commanders, Amanullah, in Indian-controlled Kashmir last week.

“We carried out this attack in retaliation for the martyrdom of Amanullah,” Hashmi said Indian police also believe the attack was in retaliation for Amanullah’s killing by Indian security forces.