MORE ON\u00a0KASHMIR<\/a><\/h4>\n\n- Eight dead as Kashmir base raid ends after 36 hours<\/a>last week<\/li>\n
- Eight dead as rebels storm Kashmir paramilitary camp<\/a>last week<\/li>\n
- Kashmir: Social media gag on government workers slammed<\/a>2 weeks ago<\/li>\n
- Pakistan says troops killed by ‘non-state actors’<\/a>2 weeks ago<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Four police officers have been killed in a bomb blast set off by rebels fighting Indian rule in a northwestern town in disputed\u00a0Kashmir<\/a>, according to police.<\/p>\nThe explosion ripped through a market in the town of Sopore on Saturday, police spokesman Harmeet Singh told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n
“A group of four policemen who were on law-and-order duty were killed,” Singh said. “Ten shops were also damaged due to the blast, as it was very strong.”<\/p>\n
Muneeb Ahmad, who lives a kilometre away from the market, told Al Jazeera he “felt the earth shake beneath my feet” when the powerful bomb was detonated.<\/p>\n
The attack came as the town was observing a strike to mark the 25th anniversary of a massacre in which government forces killed 57 civilians.<\/p>\n
Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistan-based armed group, has claimed responsibility for the blast.<\/p>\n
Disputed territory<\/h2>\n
Fighters from the group were also involved in a\u00a0marathon gun battle<\/a>\u00a0at a paramilitary base on January 1. The fighting at the Lethora-based camp, in southern Kashmir, killed five Indian soldiers and three fighters.<\/p>\nRoughly half a million soldiers are stationed in the disputed territory, which is claimed by both\u00a0<\/span>India<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and Pakistan.<\/p>\nSince 1989, rebel groups have been fighting for the Indian-administered portion to become independent or merge with\u00a0<\/span>Pakistan<\/a>.\u00a0Nearly 70,000 people have been killed since the uprising began.<\/p>\nThe Indian government and its security apparatus have been frequently accused of violating\u00a0human rights<\/a>\u00a0and carrying out extrajudicial killings.<\/p>\nIn Kashmir, which has a Muslim majority, most people support the rebels’ cause against Indian rule.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nSOURCE:\u00a0AL JAZEERA NEWS<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Four police officers have been killed in a bomb blast set off by rebels fighting Indian rule in a northwestern town in disputed\u00a0Kashmir<\/a>, according to police.<\/p>\n The explosion ripped through a market in the town of Sopore on Saturday, police spokesman Harmeet Singh told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n “A group of four policemen who were on law-and-order duty were killed,” Singh said. “Ten shops were also damaged due to the blast, as it was very strong.”<\/p>\n Muneeb Ahmad, who lives a kilometre away from the market, told Al Jazeera he “felt the earth shake beneath my feet” when the powerful bomb was detonated.<\/p>\n The attack came as the town was observing a strike to mark the 25th anniversary of a massacre in which government forces killed 57 civilians.<\/p>\n Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistan-based armed group, has claimed responsibility for the blast.<\/p>\n Fighters from the group were also involved in a\u00a0marathon gun battle<\/a>\u00a0at a paramilitary base on January 1. The fighting at the Lethora-based camp, in southern Kashmir, killed five Indian soldiers and three fighters.<\/p>\n Roughly half a million soldiers are stationed in the disputed territory, which is claimed by both\u00a0<\/span>India<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and Pakistan.<\/p>\n Since 1989, rebel groups have been fighting for the Indian-administered portion to become independent or merge with\u00a0<\/span>Pakistan<\/a>.\u00a0Nearly 70,000 people have been killed since the uprising began.<\/p>\n The Indian government and its security apparatus have been frequently accused of violating\u00a0human rights<\/a>\u00a0and carrying out extrajudicial killings.<\/p>\n In Kashmir, which has a Muslim majority, most people support the rebels’ cause against Indian rule.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SOURCE:\u00a0AL JAZEERA NEWS<\/p>\n<\/div>\nDisputed territory<\/h2>\n