Two militants, who were holed up inside a building under construction in Srinagar’s Karan Nargar area since Monday morning, were killed on Tuesday. The operation was on for over 30 hours.
A police official said one militant was killed earlier in the day and the “second militant is also down now”. “However, only one body has been spotted so far. The premises was being searched for bodies. Firing has stopped for a while.”
Two militants, wearing backpacks and carrying AK-47 rifles, were spotted by a CRPF jawan around 4.30 am on Monday. The militants tried to breach the periphery of the 23 Battalion headquarters of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and CRPF personnel opened fire. The militants fled from the spot and took refuge in the nearby building.
The Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Jawan's body recovered in Sunjuwan Army camp
Amid the Srinagar developments, a body of an Army jawan was recovered in Jammu’s Sunjuwan camp, which was attacked by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants on Saturday, according to Army spokesman Lt. Col. Devender Anand. Three militants were also killed in the gunfight.
“The body was recovered on Monday, taking the death toll of soliders to six, besides one civilian,” he said.
The deceased soldier has been identified as Farooq Ahmad Qureshi of Kupwara’s Humhama area.
Restrictions in Srinagar
Curbs, under Section 144 of the CrPc, have been imposed in the Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, Safakadal, M R Gunj, Kralkhud, Shaheedgunj and Karan Nagar police station areas of the city in the wake of the operation, officials said.
A CRPF official said gunbattle between the militants and security forces resumed at day break in the morning and the security forces were preparing for a final assault.
A CRPF jawan was killed and a policeman was injured in an exchange of fire on Monday. The CRPF had claimed that it thwarted the attempt by the terrorists to attack its camp in Karan Nagar area.
(With inputs from PTI)