SRINAGAR, Jan 7: Three people were killed and five others injured on Friday when militants attacked the income tax office in Srinagar.

A paramilitary official said one or two militants stormed the tax compound, killing a paramilitary trooper and a policeman. One militant was also killed.

Four Indian soldiers and an income tax official were also injured in the attack, which continued after dark. "Militants hurled grenades and fired indiscriminately while forcing their way in," the official said.

A blaze swept through the upper floor of the fortified three-storey building and many people, including women, had to be rescued by ladder. About 60 people were rescued from the building in the city's Barbar Shah area. -AFP