Suspected militants attack Indian army base in Kashmir

An Indian army soldier guards the army base which was attacked by suspected rebels in the town of Uri, west of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. Suspected rebels using guns and grenades sneaked into a crucial army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir early Sunday and killed at least 17 soldiers in the deadliest attack on a military base in the disputed Himalayan region in recent years, the army said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) (The Associated Press)

A view of the Indian army base which was attacked by suspected rebels in the town of Uri, west of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. Suspected rebels using guns and grenades sneaked into a crucial army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir early Sunday and killed at least 17 soldiers in the deadliest attack on a military base in the disputed Himalayan region in recent years, the army said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) (The Associated Press)

Indian army soldiers arrive at the army base which was attacked by suspected rebels in the town of Uri, west of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. Suspected rebels using guns and grenades sneaked into a crucial army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir early Sunday and killed at least 17 soldiers in the deadliest attack on a military base in the disputed Himalayan region in recent years, the army said. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) (The Associated Press)

Suspected rebels in Indian-controlled Kashmir early Sunday attacked a major army camp close to the highly militarized line of control dividing the disputed Himalayan region between India and Pakistan, authorities said.

A police officer says an unspecified number of militants sneaked into the army camp in Uri town before dawn and used guns and grenades to target the soldiers.

A military officer says soldiers returned fire and a gunbattle was ongoing.

Both the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media, did not immediately specify any casualties.

Uri, a town west of Indian Kashmir's main city of Srinagar, houses the Indian army's brigade headquarters in the region along the de-facto border.