Forces strike militants from distance

MUZAFFAR RAINA, TT, Sempora (Pampore), Oct. 11: Security forces are avoiding a hand-to-hand combat with the militants holed up in a seven-storied hostel on the outskirts of Srinagar to prevent army casualties that could arise out of a close-quarter fight.

The Entrepreneur Development Institute hostel, which was taken over by two to three militants yesterday morning, was pulverised today by the army with rockets, grenades, bombs and heavy machine gun firing.

The forces used bullet-proof vehicles to drop bombs close to the hostel. The bombs caused significant damage to the building.

Hundreds of army, CRPF and police personnel have thrown a cordon around the hostel and engaged the militants in a battle of bullets.

The militants had rowed a boat to cross the Jhelum and entered the hostel from the rear side of the complex.

The strategy of the forces has so far been to avoid a close-quarter fight with the militants, unlike the February gunfight in the same complex when two captains and a soldier died while engaging three insurgents in a hand-to-hand combat.

The militants had then taken over the building after killing two CRPF personnel on the road outside the complex.

This time, personnel from the Special Forces' Para 9, whose members had carried out the cross-border "surgical strikes" last month, have been deployed.

Sources said the militants seemed to be saving their ammunition to draw the security forces into the building.

"But we are not giving them any chance," a police officer said.

"There has been very little fire coming from the building. In fact, for many hours today, the militants did not fire a single shot and it appeared that they had been neutralised. But in the evening, they opened fire, apparently to send the message that they are alive," the officer said.

An army jawan and a constable from the Special Operations Group of the police were injured yesterday during the stand-off.

Late in the evening, a school caught fire around 1km from the hostel, with local people alleging it had been hit by a rocket fired by the forces.

"Hundreds of people are trying to douse the flames as the fire could spread to adjoining buildings," a resident said.

Residents said they heard explosions throughout last night.

A little distance from the encounter site, some residents jeered the security forces and pro- aazadi slogans could be heard.

The Srinagar-Anantnag national highway remained closed for traffic for the second consecutive day because of the gunfight.

Grenade attack

Ten persons, including two CRPF personnel, were injured when militants hurled a grenade on police and security forces at the Bona Bazar area in Shopian district, south Kashmir, today.

A police spokesperson said the injured had been admitted to a hospital and their condition was stable.