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Army kills extremists, rescues hostages in BSF camp

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

The army this evening rescued all six hostages in the Border Security Force camp that was stormed by a group of heavily armed extremists at Handwara in Kupwara district of Jammu & Kashmir early today.

Confirming this, a senior police officer said three militants and a BSF jawan were killed in the operation.

Three personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force and the BSF who received injuries during the operation were shifted to hospital.

Late this afternoon, the Centre flew commandos of the National Security Guard to Handwara to flush out the extremists and rescue the hostages. But police sources said the task was accomplished by the army itself after a fierce exchange of fire. A portion of the house was damaged in the firing.

Troops later recovered the bodies of three militants belonging to the 'Fidayeen' group of the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Earlier in the day, the pro-Pakistan organisation had claimed responsibility for the attack on the paramilitary camp.

But BSF Director General E N Rammohan told STAR News late in the evening that the paramilitary personnel and IB staff had not really been taken hostage, but had hidden themselves in a room in the building when they found the militants entering it.

Rammohan said one BSF havaldar was killed when the militants were entering the building as he came rushing down and had a grenade flung at him. Alerted, the rest hid themselves in a room upstairs and the militants did not even know of their presence, leave alone taking them hostage.

He said the whole drama lasted 19 hours.

State Director General of Police Gurbachan Jagat also said the militants had sneaked into the camp and not stormed it as was earlier reported.

Handwara town, however, was tense after the standoff.

Meanwhile, life in Srinagar was paralysed by a general strike called by the separatist All-Parties Hurriyat [Freedom] Conference.

The APHC has also called for a boycott of the general election in the Kashmir valley.

Streets were deserted in Srinagar and other towns while shops and business establishments remained closed.

The government has already put almost all APHC leaders under house arrest. Hundreds of paramilitary troops and policemen fanned out across Srinagar constituency to ensure peaceful polling tomorrow.

Security has been tightened and every passer-by is thoroughly frisked. Passing vehicles are also searched.

Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitley told reporters that elaborate arrangements had been made to conduct free, fair and smooth polling in Srinagar and Ladakh.

Security is being provided to voters in hypersensitive and sensitive polling stations.

Jaitley said 17 candidates representing seven recognised parties and six independents are in fray. A total of 1,378 polling stations have been set up in the two constituencies for a combined electorate of more than one million -- 537,000 male and 469,000 female voters. And 6,800 employees of the state government have been deployed for poll duty.

"There is no question of rigging," he said.

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