SRINAGAR: Suspected militants killed two soldiers and a police officer in an ambush on a military convoy overnight in India-held Kashmir, an official in the disputed region said on Wednesday.

An unknown number of gunmen opened fire on the two army trucks and a police vehicle travelling through Baramulla district, 60km west of Srinagar.

“Two soldiers and one police officer were killed and three others — two soldiers and another police officer — were injured,” district police superintendent Imtiaz Hussain said.

Security forces launched a major search for the militants who fled the scene, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Military convoys have been travelling more frequently at night in recent weeks through the region to avoid encountering protesting residents.

The disputed Himalayan region has been under curfew since protests erupted over the death last month of a popular young militant leader, Burhan Wani, in a gunfight with security forces.

More than 60 civilians have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, and thousands more injured in the worst violence to hit the region since 2010.

A top UN human rights official expressed “deep regret” at the failure of Indian and Pakistan authorities to grant his team access to various parts of Kashmir to probe recent allegations of human rights violations.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein described as unfortunate a failure to independently assess the serious allegations which include use of excessive force and state sponsorship of violence.

“Without access we can only fear the worst,” Zeid said in a statement released in Geneva.

Gunmen shot and wounded 10 police personnel on Monday who were trying to impose a curfew in Srinagar during Independence Day. One of the troopers later died of his injuries.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2016