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Militant in CRPF camp may have taken hostages

Two more Central Reserve Police Force jawans were killed Tuesday morning in the ongoing encounter with militants inside a CRPF camp in Anantnag district, even as the army foiled another attempt by militants to storm a post in north Kashmir, official sources said.

The encounter at the 61 battalion CRPF camp at Ashajipora has so far claimed four lives, they said.

A Lashkar-e-Tayiba militant and a CRPF jawan were killed and three jawans injured in the attack on Monday, the sources said.

It is feared that one of the two militants still alive might have taken some CRPF men hostage. However, there is no official confirmation of this.

The firing continues intermittently and the army has taken control of the operation.

According to an AFP report an unspecified number of Indian policemen are being held hostage.

The report adds that the complex housed more than 250 police personnel and about 200 men had been accounted for, fuelling speculation that several dozen could still be inside.

The attack is the first by militants since a unilateral ceasefire by India came into force on November 27 in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

On Monday Lashkar-e-Tayiba said it launched the attack on the camp. "Our two fidayeen (holy warriors) participated in the operation," Yahya Mujahid, spokesman for the group said.

Meanwhile, the army foiled a suicide attack in Cherkote area of Kupwara district late Monday night when they shot dead one of the two Lashkar militants attempting to storm Devar post.

PTI

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