SRINAGAR: Heavily-armed suspected militants killed 17 Indian soldiers in a pre-dawn raid Sunday on an army base in India-held Kashmir (IHK), the worst such attack for years in the disputed Himalayan region.

The 'militants' first attacked a frontline base close to the Line of Control (LoC) before moving onto the brigade headquarters at Uri, army spokesman Colonel S.D. Goswami said.

They were armed with grenades and automatic rifles, an army official said on condition of anonymity.

Residents of Uri town saw smoke billowing from the nearby army base after dawn and heard continuous rounds of heavy gunfire, while army helicopters circled overhead.