Srinagar, February 24
Eight persons, including three civilians, two CRPF men, a policeman and two militants were killed in a fidayeen attack on the Divisional Commissioner’s office complex here this afternoon. Both the ‘fidayeens’ were among the killed in the attack which concluded at about 6 here this evening.

The suicide attack began at 2.30 p.m. when two phiran-clad militants approached the main gate of the complex at Tankipora and opened indiscriminate fire on the CRPF guards.

The multi-building complex has the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, and a branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. Around 400 people, including employees and civilians, approaching the offices for assistance to snow-affected people, were present on the premises at the time of the attack, the police here said.

The operation to flush out the militants was jointly carried out by the police and the CRPF under the supervision of the IG, CRPF, Mr Ranjit Sinha. The complex is in the vicinity of the Old Secretariat, legislative complex and the High Court.

A CRPF jawan and a policeman were killed when the militants opened indiscriminate fire at the gate to force their entry into the complex, said Mr Sat Saroop Singh, DIG, CRPF. One CRPF jawan later succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to hospital.

A woman Head Constable of the CRPF was also injured in the attack, he said. The CRPF personnel killed in the incident were identified as Head Constable Mohinder Singh and Constable Salamuddin.

Three civilians, including a woman employee of the Revenue Department, were killed when militants fired upon them while they were being rescued, the police here said.

The militants, who entered into the Nazool building of the complex, were shot down by the CRPF commandoes at about 6 p.m. Two AK 47 rifles and some grenades have been seized from their bodies of militants.

The militant outfit Al Badr has claimed responsibility for the attack. The dead militants have been identified as Irfan Bhai and Sikander Bhai, both residents of Grijranwalla in Pakistan.