Pakistan Hits Back At Indian Accusations Over Kashmir Attack

Pakistan has hit back after India accused it of masterminding a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on September 19 that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had written letters to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council regarding “grave human rights violations” being perpetrated by Indian security forces in the Himalayan region.

Earlier, the ministry condemned India’s "vitriolic and unsubstantiated statements" and called the country's stance a "blatant attempt" to deflect attention from human rights abuses in Kashmir.

At least 17 Indian soldiers and four attackers were killed in the September 18 predawn assault against an army base in the town of Uri.

India's Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh called Pakistan a "terrorist state" soon after the attack.

Indian military officials said the attackers were "foreign terrorists" and that initial investigations suggested that they belonged to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed militant group.

The attack comes as Kashmir has seen its largest anti-India protests in recent years since the killing July 8 of a popular rebel commander by Indian troops.

More than 80 people have been killed in clashes between residents and security forces.

The Muslim-majority region is divided between India and Pakistan.

With reporting by the BBC