ilitant killed in suicide attack on CRPF battalion HQ

CNews Srinagar, Oct 11: Militants on Thursday carried out a suicide attack on the CRPF battalion headquarters housed in a hotel along the banks of the famous Dal Lake here this evening in which one of the bombers was killed after a fierce gun-battle. The attack in the tourist hub of the city, coming after a period of lull in terror attacks in the state capital, happened around the time when Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was hosting an iftaar party at the nearby Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). Militants hurled a grenade and followed it by firing on the sentry post at the main gate of the headquarters of 144th battalion at Boulevard Road along the banks of the Dal Lake this evening triggering a gunfight, CRPF spokesman P Tripathy said. The incident happened around 6.30 pm. "One militant died and we are assessing the situation," he said. The encounter was still continuing in the night. Atleast three CRPF personnel are reported injured in the attack. The whole area was immediately cordoned off and efforts are on to neutralise the militants, whose number was not known immediately, official sources said. The sources said it was not immediately known whether the militants had managed to gain entry into the camp or were prevented by the jawans from entering into their headquarters. Intense firing is going on between the two sides... Reinforcements have been rushed to the area, a police spokesman said. The attack also came a day before a unilateral ceasefire was announced by an alliance of rebel groups--United Jehad Council-- for three days from Friday.