Pampore gunbattle ends after 3 days, 2 terrorists killed

The operation to flush out holed up terrorists inside a government building in Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway ended on Wednesday afternoon, the third day of the encounter, as security forces pounded the multi-storey structure with mortars and rockets to bring it down.

Two terrorists were killed in the security forces action, officials said.

The concrete structure was posing as a difficulty to the army personnel in bringing it down,” the officials said about the time taken for the encounter.

Security forces pounded the building of Entrepreneurship Development Institute since Monday after three militants barged inside the complex with the aim of engaging the law enforcing agencies.

The operation ended after 56 hours of gun firing. Most parts of the concrete building have been reduced to a skeleton after many of its walls were blown up.

Elite Para commandos of the army were called in to neutralise the terrorists.

The area around the EDI premises had been cordoned off to prevent the terrorists from escaping, the official said.

Two to three militants stormed into the EDI complex in the wee hours of Monday and took positions inside one of the buildings.

The ultras could have entered the complex from the riverside but that can only be ascertained once the operation is over, the officials said.

After getting inside the complex, the terrorists set on fire few mattresses inside a hostel room to attract the attention of the police and other security forces, which arrived within minutes of the smoke emanating from the building.

In the initial exchange of firing, one army soldier was injured, the officials said.

Terrorists had targeted the EDI building in February this year as well.

Five security force personnel, including two young army officers and a civilian employee of the Institute and three militants were killed in that operation which lasted 48 hours.