Pampore encounter enters third day; two militants killed

SRINAGAR: Two militants were killed as the operation to flush out holed up ultras inside a government building in Pampore on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway entered the third day today with security forces pounding the multi-storey structure with mortars and rockets.

The bodies of the two militants killed in the operation, which has now been going on for over 50 hours, have been recovered, 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 enforcing agencies.

The security forces have managed to enter one portion of the building but are proceeding cautiously as one more militant might be hiding inside.

"The operation at Pampore is still going on but it is definitely now in final stages," the official said.

The operation has been now going on for 52 hours as most parts of the concrete building has been reduced to a skeleton after many of its walls were blown up.

Elite Para commandos of the army have were also called in to neutralise the militants, 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 official 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.