Saturday, July 30 2005 15:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: At least 100 people were trapped in two buildings at Budshah chowk in the Srinagar, where an encounter is going on between security forces and holed up militants since last evening (July 29, 2005).

"We have at least 26 tourists staying with us and five locals had come in to eat at the restaurant when the attack took place yesterday," Gulzar Ahmad, a staffer of the Taj hotel and restaurant, told to sources over phone.

He said besides the guests at the hotel, 15 employees of the hotel were also trapped in the building, which is directly in the line of fire between security forces and holed up militants.

Another 23 employees of UCO bank were also trapped in their office in the ground floor of Budshah hotel, which is opposite the building in which the militants have taken shelter, official sources said.

Senior police officials, including Director General of Police Gopal Sharma and Inspector General of Police Javed Makhdoomi visited the spot but decided against evacuating the trapped civilians as both buildings were in the target of the militants who have taken shelter in Bombay-Gujarat hotel and a shopping complex adjacent to it, the sources said.

They said the prime objective of the security forces was to eliminate the militants in order to avoid further casualties to the forces and civilians.