Srinagar, April 26
At least five persons, including three suspected militants and two security forces personnel, were killed and five others were injured in a suicide attack on Radio Kashmir complex here today. The main gate of the complex facing the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) crossing was damaged when the car laden with explosives used by the militants was blown off.

The militants also made an attempt on the life of the Finance Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, when he was coming out after inaugurating the computerised branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, at Azad Gunj, Baramula around 4 pm today.

Five civilians were injured in the explosions at a distance of about 100m away from the Finance Minister, on Baramula-Kupwara road, the police here said.

The suicide attack on the Radio Kashmir complex is the second such attack in the Kashmir valley during the past two days. A similar attack was made on the sector headquarters of the Border Security Force (BSF) near Bandipore in Baramula district yesterday.

However, there was no disturbance in the transmission of programmes from Radio Kashmir following attack by the militants, who engaged the security personnel deployed in a brief gunbattle.

The employees and staff working in the radio station at the time of the incident were safe, said Dr Rafiq Masoodi, Station Director, who was present on the premises.

A police spokesman said that three men of the suicide squad came in a white Ambassador car with heavy explosive material fitted in a gas cylinder to blow off the radio station, but the alert security personnel guarding the vital installation foiled the attempt. When the car was stopped for checking and frisking, the militants lobbed grenades and resorted to indiscriminate firing.

In the subsequent exchange of fire, all three militants were killed and two security force personnel also lost their lives. Four jawans and a policeman were injured in the incident.

Eyewitnesses said that a white Ambassador car with a red commander light approached the main gate of the building around 12.55 pm. One suicide bomber first blew up the car laden with huge explosives “with the intention of assisting other militants to storm into the building”, a BSF spokesman said. The suicide bomber driving the car was killed in the explosion as the car blew up and caused a heavy damage to the main gate.

A jawan of the CRPF, guarding the main gate was also killed in the initial explosion, while another staff member received minor injuries. The CRPF jawans assisted by a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of the BSF engaged two other militants in the gunbattle. One of the militants was killed near the main gate.

Another militant who was trying to flee was chased by a jawan of the BSF, and without firing at him caught hold of the militant. The militant, according to a spokesman, blew himself up and the BSF jawan, Lance Naik Prakash, with a grenade explosion.

Three AK rifles, three magazines and a hand grenade were seized from the site of encounter. The area was cordoned off to carry out search operations and the traffic plying on the busy roads through the TRC crossing.

In a separate incident, two unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Larnoo in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district this afternoon.

Two security force personnel and some civilians were injured in an IED explosion at Khumriyal in Kupwara district this morning, the police here said.

Meanwhile, a little-known militant outfit, the Al-Madeena Regiment, today claimed responsibility for the suicide attacks on the complex housing All-India Radio and Doordarshan here today and the BSF headquarters at Bandipora yesterday.

A spokesman of the outfit, called up Kashmir Press Service, a local news agency, and said three militants of the Al-Madeena Regiment carried out the attack on the media complex this afternoon. He identified the three as Farhat Askari, Shabir Usmani and Muslim Farooqi.

The outfit also claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on the BSF headquarters at Bandipora yesterday.

Rejecting the dialogue process initiated by the Centre by deputing N.N. Vohra as its pointman to hold talks with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said tripartite talks involving Pakistan were the only solution to the Kashmir issue.

Condemning the attack, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed said by stepping up violence, especially when the peace process has been initiated, the militants and their mentors across the borders had demonstrated their obvious designs to thwart the restoration of normalcy.

Asserting that the militants would not achieve anything through such acts, he said, "It is our solemn pledge to the people to restore peace with dignity in the state and we would continue to work for it with people’s support".

By targeting Radio Kashmir, the militants had attacked the media and the freedom of press, the Chief Minister said, adding, "It amounts to assault of the people’s cultural roots".