Banned terror-outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed responsibility for the attack on Hotel Silver Star in Nowgam, Srinagar, a day after a group of four militants opened fired on hotel staff, killing one and leaving two injured.
According to media reports, the militants chalked out an attack plan targeting Army convoy at Lasjan in Srinagar but were unable to execute it, after which they stormed the hotel on Friday and shot the employees.
While claiming responsibility for the Friday's attack, LeT also blamed Army's "retaliatory firing for bell boy Farooq Ahmad Bhat's killing," reported the Times of India. The daily also reported that LeT spokesperson Abdullah Ghaznavi called the newspaper to claim that "two dozen soldiers had been wounded in the attack".
Meanwhile, officials have also reportedly confirmed that the Hotel Silver Star attack was a result of an unsuccessful bid by terrorist to attack the Army vehicles. "The militants had planned an attack on the Army vehicles which were passing by. (But) they did not succeed and thus entered a nearby hotel," a police statement said, according to TOI.
The security forces have reportedly laid siege the area and search operation for the militants involved in the attack is on. It's said to be the first such attack in Srinagar in six months, in the backdrop of decreasing terror-related activities across Jammu and Kashmir for the past one year.
The employee, who was killed in the firing, has been identified as Farooq Ahmad and two other, who sustained gunshot injuries, are undergoing treatment in hospital.
Media reports suggested that the terrorists first fired at an Army vehicle and while escaping fearing a counter-attack from the army, entered nearby Hotel Silver Star and opened fire indiscriminately at staff.
