Terrorists holed inside Pampore Govt building

Express Times, SRINAGAR, 11 October 2016: Security forces were engaged in heavy exchange of fire with terrorists holed up inside the employees’ hostel of Pampore’s Entrepreneur Development Institute on the outskirts of Srinagar since early Monday morning.

A soldier was injured in the fight but there was no clarity on the number of causalities as the hostel has several employees. As dusk fell, security forces surrounded the building from all sides to prevent the escape of terrorists.

This is the second terror strike on the complex in less than eight months.

The terrorists kept firing intermittently from the five-storeyed building on the banks of the Jhelum which they barged into after using a boat to cross the river in the wee hours on Monday. They took position inside the building and announced their presence by setting a few mattresses inside a hostel room on fire, at 6 am, to attract the security forces.

Explosions were heard regularly at the site since early morning.

“They fired at the fire brigade vehicle, which confirmed the presence of militants. Soon the Army and Special Operation Group cordoned the building and hurled several grenades,” said an eyewitness. Army officials said that the encounter may last more than a day as it would be suicidal for forces to enter the building when terrorists were holed up on a higher floor.

The security forces used mortar shells, light machine guns and small arms to flush out the terrorists but their efforts did not succeed till late night. “A vigil will be maintained around the complex to prevent the militants from escaping during the night,” an officer said.

“We don’t know the exact number of militants and the encounter may stretch over a few days. We have not tried to get inside the building as of now. Besides, it would be very difficult to attempt an entry from above on such a tall building,” an Army official told ET.

The sprawling EDI complex was attacked on February 21 too, after three militants first fired at a CRPF convoy nearby, barged into the main building and engaged forces for three days. Nine people, including two Army captains, three militants, a Lance Naik, two CRPF personnel and a civilian, were killed and 13 CRPF personnel injured in the February attack.