Sources said that hours before dawn, under the cover of fire, a group of militants stormed a government complex housing camps of the BSF, the Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF. The militants entered a BSF camp and overpowered the BSF personnel there.

The area was cordoned off by security personnel and a rescue operation launched by paracommandos. According to intercepts, the three foreign Laskhar militants were Abu Usama, Abu Ali Haider and Abu Ikrama. The office of the Returning Officer for the Langate Assembly bypolls was also in the same building.

ENS adds from New Delhi: BSF officials attribute the incident to a violation of the recently outlined deployment norms. Clearinstructions had been issued to Inspector Generals to withdraw all small detachments and make deployments only at company levels. E N Ram Mohan, Director General BSF said, this was done in view of the influx of mercenaries particularly in north Kashmir and their plans to attacks camps of security personnel. ``It is natural for them to attack us where we are the weakest,'' said Mohan. He said the deployment of six BSF men with the IB personnel was clear violation of the instructions for which ``the force has to pay''.