A brief gunfight between militants and security forces inside a premier hospital in Srinagar left a civilian injured and triggered panic among patients.

Officials said the militants opened fire at the security forces but managed to escape taking cover of civilian movements.

“There was a brief firefight between terrorists and security forces at SKIMS (Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences) Bemina. Terrorists managed to escape taking advantage of civilian presence,” Srinagar police tweeted.

An official said the gunfight took place on the road leading to the hospital, adjoining lawns and inside the main gate. One person — Masood Ahmad, 19, of Doda — suffered an arm injury but it could not be immediately confirmed whether he had been hit by a bullet.

The gunshots created panic and forced people to run for cover.

Scores of security personnel rushed to the spot but the militants appeared to have fled by then.

Some reports claimed the security forces had launched an operation to arrest a group of militants at the hospital. The militants, however, became suspicious and opened fire.

An SKIMS hostel was in the spotlight after a video purportedly showed students cheering for the Pakistan team during the T20 World Cup match against India. The hospital denied this.

The police have booked unnamed students under the anti-terror law UAPA for cheering the Pakistan team but no arrests have been made so far.

This is the first militant firing in Srinagar since the civilian killings earlier this month targeting people from minority communities and migrant workers. The security forces are rushing 5,000 additional troops to the Valley, belying claims of normality.