Pampore attack: Two security personnel injured, gun battle on with heavily-armed militants
Last Updated: Monday, October 10, 2016 - 21:24
Srinagar:
Security forces on Monday battled a group of heavily-armed militants sheltered inside a government building near here, firing incendiary material that sparked a fire in the complex.
A soldier and a policeman were injured as the militants fired from inside the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Institute (JKEDI) in the fighting that began in the morning and was continuing over 12 hours later.
The 70-room, seven-storey building is located at Pampore on the banks of the river Jhelum and 12 km from the Srinagar city centre.
Officials said it had been surrounded from all sides to prevent the militants from escaping.
Security forces fired rockets and incendiary material due to which the building caught fire.
As the sun went down, security forces made arrangements to light up the complex so that the guerrillas, whose exact number is not known, do not flee under the cover of darkness.
"All escape routes have been sealed," said a senior police officer here.
While the guerrillas are using their ammunition sparingly, the security forces are using massive gunfire to isolate them.
But the security forces are avoiding to storm the building in order to avoid casualties.
The militants changed their positions constantly to avoid getting killed, one police officer said.
The security forces earlier fired rockets and used light machine guns in a bid to localise the guerrillas.
The joint operation was launched by the army, the Special Operations Group of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soon after the militants' presence was reported.
A soldier was injured when he sustained a gunshot on his foot. A member of the Special Operations Group of the police was also wounded.
Residents in the area told IANS that the
militants entered the institute from the river side and were holed up inside the hostel.
There were some JKEDI employees in the complex at the time of the attack but most said they were not sure how the militants got in.
"We don't know exactly what happened. We saw smoke coming out of the top floor of the hostel and called the fire brigade and police," one JKEDI employee told IANS.
"When the security forces arrived, the militants began firing at them and suddenly guns were roaring from all sides," he added.
The main building of the institute was razed in February when militants captured it and launched a major attack on security forces.
Six persons - a civilian, three soldiers and two paramilitary troopers -- were killed then before three militants were gunned down.
The institute, situated on the strategic arterial road connecting Jammu and Srinagar, has three buildings - a guest house, a hostel complex and the main office building - on a 3.5-acre land on the Jhelum.
The road on which the institute is located is the lifeline not only for local supplies but is the only all-weather link used by the army to reach the Srinagar-based 15 Corps headquarters.
The area around the building houses a government-owned factory and a highly secured complex of medium and shortwave radio transmitters of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar.
IANS
First Published: Monday, October 10, 2016 - 21:24
Jammu & Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute building
Day in Pics - October 10, 2016
Indian army soldiers take positions during their patrol near the Line of Control in Nowshera sector, about 145 km from Jammu.
In this February 22, 2016 photo, columns of smoke emanate from the top floor of the EDI building in which militants were holed up during a gunfight in Sempora Pampore, Srinagar. Photo: Nissar Ahmad
In this February 22, 2016 photo, columns of smoke emanate from the top floor of the EDI building in which militants were holed up during a gunfight in Sempora Pampore, Srinagar. Photo: Nissar Ahmad
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...at-edi-building-in-pampore/article9206271.ece
Updated: October 10, 2016 20:35 IST
EDI complex cordoned off; operation likely to drag on till Tuesday
Heavy exchange of fire continued between the security forces and militants holed up inside a government building in Pampore area in the outskirts of Srinagar on Monday.
A soldier has been injured in the encounter, the second terror strike at the complex in less than eight months.
Two-to-three militants stormed into the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) complex in the the early hours and took positions inside one of the buildings, a police official said.
The official said the
ultras could have entered the complex from the riverside but that can only be ascertained once the operation is over.
After getting inside the complex, the militants set on fire a few mattresses inside a hostel room to attract the attention of the police and other security forces, who arrived within minutes of the smoke emanating from the building, the official said.
He said a soldier was injured in the initial exchange of fire.
The security forces then used mortar shells, light machine guns and small arms to flush out the militants but their efforts have not been successful so far, the official said.
He said EDI complex has been cordoned off and the operation is likely to drag on till Tuesday.
Plugging infiltration: A jawan heads back after an encounter in Kashmir. The Army foiled an infiltration attempt in the Naugam sector in Kupwara last week. Photo: Nissar Ahmad
Updated: October 10, 2016 01:01 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...and-in-naugam-infiltration/article9204535.ece
The hand grenades recovered are Arges-84 which are of Austrian origin and manufactured by Pakistani ordnance factories.
The Army has presented proof to show Pakistan’s involvement in the infiltration attempts across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Naugam sector of Jammu & Kashmir last week in which four terrorists were killed.
“Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings on the hand grenades and the Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) Grenades recovered from the terrorists confirm Pakistan complicity in abetting and equipping terrorism,” the Army said in a statement on Sunday.
The hand grenades recovered are Arges-84 which are of Austrian origin and manufactured by Pakistani ordnance factories.
In addition, a large number of highly inflammable material, such as six plastic explosive slabs, six bottles of petroleum jelly, six bottles of inflammable liquid and six lighters were also recovered.
Similar inflammable material was also recovered at Poonch on September 11 and from the site of the Uri terror attack on September 18, the statement said. “This shows the sinister design of Pakistan to aid terrorists in causing maximum destruction,” it added.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...outh-to-be-selfreliantomar/article9206668.ece
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday hit out at militants for targeting the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), saying
the ultras don’t want young Kashmiri boys and girls to stand on their feet.
“All the EDI ever did was to train young Kashmiri boys and girls to stand on their own feet and not seek government jobs. Militants don’t like that!” Omar tweeted.