SRINAGAR: The operation to flush out holed up militants inside a government building in Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway today entered the third day as security forces continued to pound the multi-storey structure with mortars and rockets to bring it down.
One of the three militants is believed to have been killed in the security forces action yesterday, officials said here.
“The operation at Pampore is still going on.The concrete structure is posing a difficulty to the army personnel in bringing it down,” the officials said.
Security forces have been pounding the building of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) since Monday after three militants barged inside the complex with the aim of engaging the law enforicing agencies.
The operation has been now going on for 52 hours as most parts of the concrete building have been reduced to a skeleton after many of its walls were blown up.
Elite Para commandos of the army have also been called in to neutralise the militants but the security personnel are not rushing in to the building to avoid casualties, the officials said.
The area around the EDI premises has been cordoned off to prevent the militants from escaping, the official said.
Two to three militants stormed into the EDI complex in the wee hours of Monday and took positions inside one of the buildings.
The ultras could have entered the complex from the riverside but that can only be ascertained once the operation is over, the officials said.
After getting inside the complex, the militants set on fire few mattresses inside a hostel room to attract the attention of the police and other security forces, which arrived within minutes of the smoke emanating from the building.
In the initial exchange of firing, one army soldier was injured, the officials said.
Militants had targeted the EDI building in February this year as well.
Five security force personnel including two young army officers and a civilian employee of the Institute and three militants were killed in that operation which lasted 48 hours. (AGENCIES)
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