Authorities on Wednesday called off a 17-hour, cordon and search operation at Gulab Bagh on the outskirts of Srinagar city without making any contact with the suspected militants.
According to reports, the militants were believed to be hiding in a house following which the CASO was launched on Tuesday evening.
A joint team of the Army, police and paramilitary security forces had launched the operation late on Tuesday night following information about presence of two militants there, officials said.
“As the forces closed in on the target house, the police offered a chance to the militants to surrender but there was no response,” reports said.
When there was no contact with the militants, forces launched house-to-house searches in the area but didn't find the suspects.
“The operation was called off as the militants were believed to have escaped before the cordon was laid,” officials said.
The authorities have sounded a high alert in the summer capital in view of the escape of militants from the cordon last night.
“We are already on high alert in view of recent spike in terror attacks on security forces,” a top source said.
A cop was killed last week when militants struck at the house of a BJP leader on the outskirts of Srinagar. Two of the three militants were killed in an encounter within 24 hours of the attack.
Earlier, three CRPF personnel were killed when suspected militants launched a daring attack on a paramilitary patrol in Lawaypora area of Srinagar. The militants also managed to decamp with the service rifle of one of the slain trooper.