Govt building catches fire in Srinagar; gunshot heard

Srinagar: A government building on the outskirts of Srinagar where an encounter took place earlier this year caught fire on Monday morning, police said.

A building within the premises of the head office of Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) in Sempora area of Pampore on the outskirts of the city here caught fire this morning, a police official said.

He said the cause of the fire was not yet known.

However, an Army official said soon after the fire, a gunshot was heard from within the premises of JKEDI.

Fire tenders have been rushed to the spot, but they are not being allowed to enter the building due to security reasons, the official said.

An encounter between militants and security forces took place in the premises in February this year which lasted for more than 48 hours.