PHOTOS: Militants attack hotel in Srinagar; one killed

A hotel employee was killed and two others wounded in a militant attack on the outskirts of summer capital Srinagar on Friday evening.

A senior police officer said militants forced their entry inside 'Silver Star' hotel at Nowgam and opened fire.

"The militants fired indiscriminately at the employees of the hotel resulting in on the spot death of an employee identified as Farooq Ahmad," the officer said.

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Two other hotel employees who were injured in the firing incident were evacuated  and taken to a hospital.

Sources here said the militants had enquired from the employees about the guests staying at the hotel.

An army convoy which was passing on the highway outside the hotel halted for some time because of the firing incident.

Police sources said there had been no damage to the passing army convoy.

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The militants, sources said, managed to flee from the backside of the hotel.

Senior police and security force officers rushed to the spot and the area was cordoned off for searches.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

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A police spokesman said, "Initial investigations into the firing incident have shown that the militants had attempted to attack the Army vehicles passing by. They did not succeed."

This is the first attack by militants on a hotel as Kashmir this year witnessed a huge torrent of tourists with over half a million domestic and foreign tourists visiting the valley.

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