12 killed in Srinagar gunbattle

SRINAGAR—The overnight gun battle between militants and security forces at the commercial hub of Budshah Chowk finally ended Thursday with six soldiers, three militants and three civilians believed to have been killed in the episode.
Sources here said that in all two to three militants, four Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel and two CRPF soldiers were believed dead. They said that in addition to them, at least three civilians---including a hotel employee---were believed dead. In all, more than 30 people---including 18 Police and CRPF personnel---are estimated to have sustained injuries.
The sources added that after the night-long stand-off at the tightly cordoned New Standard Hotel, one of the militants was gunned down as soon as he was spotted this morning. Another militant jumped out of the hotel building and scampered towards the nearby marketplace of Koker Bazar. He too was gunned down while he was crossing the main road leading to Civil Secretariat.
They said that the Srinagar District Police and Central Reserve Police Force were busy in mopping up operation at the second floor of the hotel building where two of the militants had stayed overnight. Some officials sounded confident that the third militant too had died inside a hotel room but dead bodies of only two militants had been spotted and recovered by 1130 hours Thursday.
As already reported, militant outfit Al-Mansoorain had claimed on Wednesday that three of its Fidayeen had attacked a paramilitary encampment at Dashnami Akhara at Budshah Chowk and later occupied the nearby New Standard hotel. Officials maintained that only two militants had been spotted and it was still being ascertained whether yet another militant was present in the building dead or alive.
DIG Central Kashmir, Farooq Ahmed, said that two of the Jammu and Kashmir Police men had died outside when the militants launched their offensive at 1105 hours Wednesday. He said that two more, including ASI Nazir Ahmed of Maisuma Police Station, were "missing" for the last 24 hours. They were both believed dead but their bodies had not been spotted till a short while ago. He also confirmed the death of two CRPF soldiers. The DIG said that one to three civilians were "suspected" to have died in the gun battle inside the hotel building yesterday. —Agencies