Fierce encounter with militants in Kashmir's Pampore; toll rises to 5

A captain and two army personnel were killed in the militant firing

A captain was among two army personnel from elite Para unit who lost their lives today in a fierce encounter with militants holed up inside a government building in Pampore town, taking the death toll to five in the two-day operation.

A fire broke out this afternoon at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) building, from where nearly 100 people had been evacuated to safety following the stand-off.

Captain Pawan Kumar, a young officer from Haryana's Jind area, sustained grievous injuries in militant firing as security forces tried to make their way into the building in the wee hours today, an army official said.

He said the injured officer succumbed to injuries later.

As the security forces exchanged heavy gunfire with the holed up militants, another soldier from the Para unit, Om Prakash, was injured and taken to 92 Base Hospital of the Army at Badamibagh Cantonment where he succumbed.

Two CRPF jawans and a civilian were killed and nine other jawans injured when militants opened fire on a CRPF convoy yesterday afternoon. The ultras then took shelter inside the EDI building, triggering a stand off.

Nearly 100 civilians -- staff and students of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) -- were evacuated to safety by the security forces from the building, a police official said.

He said the operation might be prolonged as militants seem to be heavily armed.

The open structure of the building where the militants are hiding also poses a difficulty to the security forces in advancing towards it, he added.