NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the death toll stood at three.
"The administrative base had large strength of troops of units turning over after their tour of duty who were stationed in tents/temporary shelters which caught fire, and resulted in heavy casualties. We salute the sacrifice of 17 soldiers who were martyred in the operation," the Indian Army was quoted as saying by the Asian News International.
Four terrorists attacked the Army Brigade's headquarters at 5:30 a.m. (24:00 GMT) this morning. The attackers were killed during the gunbattle.
The region of Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan since the dissolution of British India and the establishment of the two states in 1947. Some local residents, especially those residing in the Kashmir Valley, call for greater autonomy or even independence from India.