Search the Internet          Tips

6 killed in attack on J&K
armed police headquarters

Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants late Friday evening stormed the heavily guarded headquarters of the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, which also houses the state police control room at Batmallo.

Four pro-Pakistan militants were killed in the gun-battle lasting nearly three hours.

The Army, which was called out in the evening, laid a cordon around the entire complex.

Power supply to the armed police complex and the police control room building was snapped immediately after troops encircled the area.

A senior police officer confirmed that two members of the armed police were killed and seven others, including a superintendent of the city south area, Ramesh Jalla, were wounded in the gun battle. Police managed to shift the injured to hospital.

The police identified the two cops killed in the firing as Zahoor Ahmad and Tariq Ahmed.

Sources said the heavily armed LeT militants came to the main gate of the headquarters and hurled several grenades and opened indiscriminate fire from automatic weapons, killing a sentry on the spot. Eight personnel, who were manning the main gate bunkers, received serious injuries.

The militants, after firing in all directions, stormed into the complex and entered in a building near the police control near the main gate. The policemen retaliated.

Messages were flashed and senior police officers came along with paramilitary forces to restore order. However, as the militants continued firing the authorities finally sought the army's help.

Troops, in full battle gear, moved about in the area.

A spokesman of the frontline LeT telephoned local newspapers to claim responsibility for the attack. The spokesman said that the four-member suicide squad was led by Salahuddin Ayubi.

The attack triggered tension in the complex, with cops taking up positions while others ran towards their barracks.

Sources said that the authorities were in touch with police control room chief Ghulam Hassan Bhat, the only senior officer present in the complex.

"There was complete chaos inside and no one knew what was going on. We heard only sounds of automatic weapons fire. Earlier, there were explosions. We were sitting quietly inside the building," said a policeman contacted by telephone.

Senior police and security force officers supervised the operation.

EARLIER REPORT
Srinagar police control room attacked

The Complete Coverage: The Ceasefire in J&K

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report