Government forces in Indian occupied Kashmir ended a 20-hour gunbattle with suspected militants on Thursday, shooting and killing the two attackers who paralysed the region's main city. The attack was the first prolonged gunfight in occupied Srinagar since 2006.
The attackers entered a crowded shopping area in occupied Srinagar on Wednesday afternoon and hurled hand grenades and opened fire at a group of soldiers, killing one police officer and one bystander, according to top police official Farooq Ahmed. The assailants then took refuge in a hotel, where they held off troops throughout the night. Early Thursday, government forces fought their way into the hotel, killing the men, said Ahmed. Government soldiers were searching the area for any leftover explosives and any other suspicious items, Ahmed said.
The fighting wounded 10, including four soldiers, he said. One portion of the hotel, which is located in the usually crowded Lal Chowk area in the heart of the city, caught fire during the prolonged gunbattle. Fire engines were trying to douse the flames.