Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants, who killed a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer deployed in Pantha chowk area in Srinagar yesterday were gunned down by security forces after a gunbattle stretching to several hours. Militants fled and took refuge in Delhi Public School (DPS) Srinagar after killing CRPF officer deployed on road opening duty near the school. The attack took place near the school in high security zone located less than a kilometre away from headquarters of Army's Chinar Corps.
The gunbattle broke out at the school in the wee hours today after security forces launched an offensive to flush out the militants.
"The exchange of firing between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am and is going on intermittently, " a police official said.
The militants had entered into the premises of DPS Srinagar last evening after carrying out an attack on the CRPF personnel deployed on road opening duty near the school on Srinagar-Jammu national highway. One CRPF officer was killed and a constable of the force injured in the attack.
The security forces immediately cordoned-off the area and launched search operations in the large school campus.
Sources said drone cameras and other hi-tech gadgets were used to trace the location of the militants but police officials refused to comment on operational details.
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has taken responsibility of the attack on CRPF personnel. Spokesman of the LeT Abdullah Ghaznavi called a local news agency to own responsibility for the attack.
District Magistrate of Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone on Saturday imposed restrictions on the stretch of Srinagar-Jammu national highway between Ram Munshibagh and Sempora.
Mobile internet services (3G/4G) were also suspended in the Kashmir Valley to prevent the spread of rumours. The speed of landline broadband connections has also been brought down.
