Saturday, January 15 2005 18:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: With Republic Day barely ten days away, militants today (Jan 15, 2005) stormed a heavily-guarded indoor stadium, which also houses regional passport office, in the heart of the city sparking intermittent exchange of fire with security forces which left a policeman injured.

Hurling a grenade and firing indiscriminately, two heavily-armed militants of al-Mansoorian outfit stormed the stadium adjacent to the main venue of Republic Day function Bakshi Stadium, around 16:15 hrs (IST), official sources said.

CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel guarding the indoor stadium returned the fire and reinforcements from police and other security agencies deployed nearby rushed to the site and cordoned the building from outside, they said.

However, the militants who are believed to have gained their entry into the passport office stopped firing for a while but resumed as CRPF and local police personnel made an attempt to advance towards them, the sources said adding a policeman was injured in the exchange of fire.

The sources said firing has once again stopped and senior officers who reached the scene were chalking out strategy to deal with the situation.

There was nobody present in the passport office today on account of holiday.

A spokesman of al-Mansoorian outfit Abu Huzaifa claimed responsibility for the attack saying two members of the outfits' suicide squad, Nayeem Ahmad of Handwara and Mohammad Sabir from Srinagar, were involved in the attack.

This is the second such incident in the city within ten days.

Two militants of the same outfit stormed the Income Tax office building on Friday last and fought a pitched battle for more than 25 hours before being killed by the security forces.

Four security personnel, including a Deputy Commandant of BSF (Border Security Force), and an employee of IT department were killed in the fierce gunbattle, which also destroyed building.