CRPF officer killed, two injured in LeT attack in Srinagar

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants attacked a Central Reserve Police Force vehicle on the outskirts of Srinagar on Saturday evening, killing an officer and injuring two others.

The militants attacked the CRPF vehicle in Pantha Chowk, on the Srinagar Jammu National Highway just outside Delhi Public School (DPS).

"A sub-inspector of the CRPF was killed and two CRPF troopers were injured in the militant attack," police said.

The militants reportedly took refuge inside the school, which was surrounded by security forces. The forces fired "probing" shots at the building to see if any hiding militant would fire back.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has been behind some of the recent major militant attacks in the valley, has owned up responsibility for the attack. Abdullah Ghaznavi, LeT spokesperson, called a local news agency to say the outfit was behind the attack.

In a freak incident at the shootout site, the rifle of a local policeman went off accidentally, injuring a CRPF trooper and a policeman.

Restrictions have been imposed in the area following the militant attack.

District Magistrate Srinagar Farooq Ahmed Lone said: "Restrictions have been imposed with immediate effect from Ramunshi Bagh to Sempora" -- a stretch of the highway.

The injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment.

--IANS

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