Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 25: Two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed in an encounter that broke out between militants and security forces in Delhi Public School building at Pantha Chowk in Srinagar today.
The encounter broke out at around midnight after militants attacked a CRPF vehicle on Saturday evening, killing Sub Inspector of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Sahab Shukla and injuring two others near the entrance of DPS School on the National Highway. The militants fled towards the school and took refuge inside one of the five huge buildings of DPS.
Security forces including Army’s 50 Rashtriya Rifles, 2-Para, CRPF and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police last evening cordoned off the DPS soon after the attack on CRPF.
The exchange of fire started after midnight when the militants fired on security forces who were searching for them in the school buildings. The gunfight continued till early morning today in which two militants were killed.
The dead militants were identified as Abu Tala and Abu Hurraira, both Pakistanis who were part of Fidayeen group who were killed in EDI building early this year. Two AK rifles, one UBGL, 2 grenades and six AK-magazines were recovered from their possession. The bodies of the militants were found inside a class room.
At least three Army soldiers were injured during the operation in the building. They suffered injuries when the militants hiding inside Delhi Public School (DPS) fired at them. The injured included an officer and two jawans who were shifted to 92-Base hospital for treatment.
Militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Police said that around 20 employees of the DPS were safely evacuated from the campus of the school last evening.
The District administration today imposed restrictions under Section 144 to avoid assembly of people and prevent protest and stone pelting near the encounter site.
“Restrictions under section 144 were imposed from Ram Munshi Bagh to Sempora (around Pantha Chowk attack site) with immediate effect,” Srinagar’s Deputy Commissioner Farooq Ahmad Lone said.
The Highway was closed from Sempora towards Srinagar to avoid any untoward incident and the traffic was diverted from Lasjan.
In the meantime, Director General of Police, SP Vaid, today issued advisory to the police personnel asking them not to offer Eid prayers in Eidgahs and in Masjids at isolated places. They have been asked to offer prayers at Police Control Room and other secure places for security reasons. The advisory has been issued after recent attacks on police personnel and lynching of a police officer in Jamia Masjid on Thursday night.
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