This Article is From Jan 06, 2010

Srinagar: 100 evacuated as police fight militants

Srinagar: Over 100 people, including women and children, who were trapped inside shops and other buildings near the scene of a gunbattle between militants and Security forces at Lal Chowk on Wednesday have been evacuated.

Joint teams of police and CRPF personnel are engaged in the rescue operation and so far over 100 civilians trapped inside shops and other buildings have been evacuated from Court road, Pladium chowk, Koker Bazar and adjoining areas to safer places, a police officer said.

Militants struck Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, at around 2.15 pm by exploding grenades and opening indiscriminate firing, triggering panic among the people. While most shopkeepers fled to safety along with pedestrians leaving their establishments open, some of the people took shelter inside the open shops and buildings.

"Besides neutralising the militants holed up inside a hotel, our priority is to ensure safety of the civilians," the officer said adding efforts are also on to clear the civilians present in the hotel where the militants are positioned and firing on the forces.

Meanwhile, police fired a few tear gas shells to chase away a crowd at nearby Abi Guzar locality. The police resorted to teargas shelling after the crowd started raising slogans in support of militants, sources said.

They said a mob also resorted to stone-pelting at Maisuma prompting the police to fire tear gas and use batons to restore law and order.
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