Rocket attack on Kashmir radio

Violence has surged in recent days

By Altaf Hussain BBC reporter in Srinagar

Suspected militants have fired rockets at a state-owned radio station in Srinagar, officials say.

The building of All India Radio came under fire on Thursday evening but officials say there were no casualties.

The representatives of the radio station say the rocket exploded just before hitting a wall on the first floor of the two-floored building.

The Al-Badr militant group has claimed responsibility for the incident which they say was a missile attack.

Other broadcasting stations, including All India Radio and the state-run television channel, Doordarshan, have been attacked by militants several times during the past 10 years.

Upsurge

A station engineer of Doordarshan was killed in Srinagar in a similar rocket attack a few years ago.

There has been a sudden upsurge in separatist violence in the region over the past few days.

The state opposition parties have criticised the state government for adopting what they term a "soft policy" towards the militants.

The chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, says his government has decided to step up operations against the militants and also against those who are helping them.

Exchanging fire

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed: To step up operations

However, Mr Sayeed has once again defended his government's decision to provide financial assistance to the families of the militants killed in clashes with the Indian security forces.

Meanwhile, Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged artillery fire in the Uri sector across the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

An Indian defence spokesman said a few shells fired by the Pakistanis fell in the main market in Uri where a few residential houses were destroyed.

He said the Indian troops had retaliated after the Pakistani troops opened fire without provocation.