A brief exchange of fire between a militant and security force personnel near an ordnance depot in the Badamibagh Cantonment area in Srinagar in the wee hours of Friday prompted the army to sound a high alert.
Security forces noticed a man moving suspiciously near the boundary wall of the depot, adjoining the headquarters of 15 Corps, at around 0400 IST and challenged him, officials said.
The man fired at security personnel who retaliated. The exchange of fire lasted a few minutes with the militant escaping under the cover of darkness.
Sounding an alert, the Army sealed off the area to track down the militant.
The high-security Badamibagh area had witnessed a prolonged encounter, which ended on Thursday, between security forces and militants hiding in the BSNL building.