Srinagar, Nov 20: Three security personnel, including a major, and a civilian were killed as the 48 hour stand off between security forces and ultras holed up in a BSNL office in the high-security cantonment area here ended this evening with the killing of the two ultras. Major Navneet and a militant were killed in fresh fighting this morning when after an overnight lull militants hurled grenades at security forces who fired rockets and mortars in the Badamibagh area close to the headquarters of the 15 Corp of the army and several CRPF camps, a defence spokesman said. Both militants were killed in the encounter today but body of only one militant has been found and search for the other was on. One CRPF personnel, injured in the gunbattle yesterday, succumbed to injuries today, they said. The gunbattle broke out on tuesday evening after a suspected suicide squad of al-mansoorian, a shadow of Lashker-e-Toiba, attacked a CRPF camp in Indira Nagar locality killing one personnel and injuring three others and took shelter in the BSNL office while fleeing.
On BSNL employee Kuldeep Chand was also killed in encounter, the sources said adding that his body was recovered during search operations launched after the firing stopped around 6.00 pm.

Security forces had sealed the entire area within one kilometre of the scene of gunbattle and rescued 15 persons from the BSNL office before launching the operation to flush out militants in which the building was gutted.
Bureau Report