Click to play videoSrinagar: Security forces gunned down both the Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists holed up inside Hotel Punjab in the Lal Chowk area of Srinagar on Thursday ending the almost 22-hour long gunbattle.
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda confirmed that the gunbattle was over with both Pakistani terrorists being shot dead.
"This was night long operation and today (Thursday) in the wee hours the forces entered the building from the top floor. Around 1030 hrs IST the commander was killed. The other terrorist tried to put the building on fire. As soon as the building was set on fire he tried to escape but was shot dead. Both the terrorists belonged to Lashker-e-Toiba," said Khoda.
Fire brigade personnel were trying to put down a fire that broke out on Thursday morning in the hotel as security personnel tried to corner the terrorists.
At least two security personnel and one civilian were also killed in the gunbattle that started on Wednesday afternoon. While one security personnel belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the other was from the state police force.
The gunbattle also left 10 others including seven civilians injured. One of those injured is a cameraman of a national Hindi news channel.
CRPF Special Director General NK Tripathi, who was monitoring the operation from Jammu, said on Thursday morning that the security forces were going to launch an assault on the hotel soon.
"Contingent of CRPF and J-K Police have entered the hotel for the final assault. One CRPF jawan has been injured this morning (Thursday). It’s a five-floor hotel with wooden floors and possibility of civilians inside make the operation difficult. There’s a possibility that terrorists may be carrying explosives. There had intelligence inputs of a major strike a few days back. We are sure there sure that there are two terrorists but can’t rule out the possibility of more," said Tripathi.
The operation launched by CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police to neutralise the terrorists was resumed at 0700 hrs IST on Thursday after it was suspended at around 2300 hrs IST on Wednesday.
Security forces were also able to rescue nearly 100 guests from the hotels in the area. Out of the 100 people rescued 10 were from Hotel Punjab where there terrorists had been hiding.
The two terrorists, believed to be fidayeen (suicide squad), lobbed grenades on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) picket at Pladium Chowk and followed it by indiscriminate firing around 1415 hrs IST on Wednesday.
The CRPF and police personnel deployed in the area retaliated and the terrorists ran inside the hotel.
They then opened fire and lobbed grenades on the security forces and since then have been engaging them in a fierce gunbattle.
The JUM is believed to be a breakaway faction of the Hizbul Mujahideen and was formed in 1990 with Sheikh Abdul Basit as its chief.
(With inputs from Mufti Islah and Pawan Bali)
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
