Srinagar:
After 22 hours, the two terrorists who virtually held the heart of Srinagar captive were killed in the hotel that they had converted into their base since Wednesday afternoon. Two other people, including a policeman, were killed; another 9 were injured.
Security forces stormed into Punjab Hotel in Lal Chowk at 9.30 on Thursday morning, and began searching rooms to find the two terrorists. One militant was killed inside the hotel. The other, caught in a blaze of his own explosives, jumped out of the building and injured a jawan before he was killed.
Srinagar watched in horror as the hotel caught fire after the terrorists kept throwing grenades at security men. After raging the whole day, the fire was finally tamed by 4 pm.
The Jammu and Kashmir police describe the attack as a Pakistani conspiracy and claim the terrorists killed belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba or LeT. "There is desperation in infiltration, there is desperation in carrying out such attacks," said Kuldeep Khoda, Director General of Police.
Sources tell NDTV the terrorists entered India in December and were sent by the LeT. After a fight with the local LeT commander, they switched sides to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
Both the terrorists were trained as fidayeen and their aim was to send the message that situation is not entirely under control.
Though this was the biggest terror attack in Srinagar since October 2006, the chief minister tried to downplay it, not surprising given that the government is in the process of phasing out military security from civilian areas. ''This was not a suicide attack on any high value target. We trapped them inside the building and today we killed them. This is not a fidayeen attack,'' said Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister.
The Opposition though warns of a conspiracy. ''Serious thought should be given whether it's militants who don't want the troops to be withdrawn from the state or it's some government agency who also have a hand in sabotaging any move for troops withdrawal,'' said Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
On Wednesday afternoon at 2 pm, two men carrying AK47s and grenades stormed through Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar and attacked a police vehicle. They then walked into Hotel Punjab lobbing grenades and opening fire at security forces.
The whole area was immediately cordoned off. Khoda says the militants rushed into the hotel for cover, and were diverted from the real target of their attacks, as yet unknown to the police.
The terrorists were holed up on the top floor of Hotel Punjab and fired and threw grenades from that vantage point. Security forces suspended their operation at around 11 pm on Wednesday night. At 7 am on Thursday, they decided to launch what they planned as the final part of their assault.
Wednesday's attack also came a day after the National Conference-led coalition government completed its first year in office and listed in its achievements, an improved security situation. (With PTI inputs)
Security forces stormed into Punjab Hotel in Lal Chowk at 9.30 on Thursday morning, and began searching rooms to find the two terrorists. One militant was killed inside the hotel. The other, caught in a blaze of his own explosives, jumped out of the building and injured a jawan before he was killed.
Srinagar watched in horror as the hotel caught fire after the terrorists kept throwing grenades at security men. After raging the whole day, the fire was finally tamed by 4 pm.
The Jammu and Kashmir police describe the attack as a Pakistani conspiracy and claim the terrorists killed belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba or LeT. "There is desperation in infiltration, there is desperation in carrying out such attacks," said Kuldeep Khoda, Director General of Police.
Sources tell NDTV the terrorists entered India in December and were sent by the LeT. After a fight with the local LeT commander, they switched sides to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
Both the terrorists were trained as fidayeen and their aim was to send the message that situation is not entirely under control.
Though this was the biggest terror attack in Srinagar since October 2006, the chief minister tried to downplay it, not surprising given that the government is in the process of phasing out military security from civilian areas. ''This was not a suicide attack on any high value target. We trapped them inside the building and today we killed them. This is not a fidayeen attack,'' said Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister.
The Opposition though warns of a conspiracy. ''Serious thought should be given whether it's militants who don't want the troops to be withdrawn from the state or it's some government agency who also have a hand in sabotaging any move for troops withdrawal,'' said Mehbooba Mufti, leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
On Wednesday afternoon at 2 pm, two men carrying AK47s and grenades stormed through Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar and attacked a police vehicle. They then walked into Hotel Punjab lobbing grenades and opening fire at security forces.
The whole area was immediately cordoned off. Khoda says the militants rushed into the hotel for cover, and were diverted from the real target of their attacks, as yet unknown to the police.
The terrorists were holed up on the top floor of Hotel Punjab and fired and threw grenades from that vantage point. Security forces suspended their operation at around 11 pm on Wednesday night. At 7 am on Thursday, they decided to launch what they planned as the final part of their assault.
Wednesday's attack also came a day after the National Conference-led coalition government completed its first year in office and listed in its achievements, an improved security situation. (With PTI inputs)
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