A man from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh was killed and 41 were injured in a grenade attack by suspected militants at a busy market in Srinagar’s commercial hub, Hari Singh High Street, on Monday afternoon.
The victim, Rinku Singh, 35, was a toy seller. Three of the injured are Sashastra Seema Bal personnel.
The culprits appeared in the high-security zone around 1.30 p.m. and tossed a grenade on the road, crowded with shoppers buying winter clothing after weeks of shutdown. Many were hit by multiple splinters.
“The grenade exploded on the road. One toy seller from Uttar Pradesh succumbed to his injuries,” Deputy Inspector-General of Police Virdhi Kumar Birdhi said.
Victim from U.P.
Fayaz Ahmad from Hazratbal and Ejaz Ahmad Bhat from Chanapora were critically injured.
“We have received 41 injured. Two of them are critical,” said Nazir Chaudhary, Medical Superintendent at the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital.
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No militant outfit has taken responsibility for the attack, the sixth grenade blast in the Valley since the August 5 decision by the Centre to revoke the special status under Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir.
A Srinagar-based police spokesman, however, said Pakistan and the handlers of the militants were unnerved by the return of normalcy and reopening of shops.
“The police arrested a local militant two days ago in Baramulla’s Sopore. He was also tasked with throwing grenades in busy markets and petrol pumps,” the spokesman said.
The police also said they had unearthed a militant hideout in an orchard in Sopore. “It was the hiding place of Sajad Hyder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. He would bring his new recruits here,” the police said.
Two tourists were injured on the Srinagar-Gulmarg road when the vehicle they were travelling in was caught in an incident of stone-throwing. “Both the tourists are stable,” a police official said.
DGP lauds police
Director-General of Police Dilbagh Singh, who briefed Lieutenant-Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on the reopening of the “Darbar” in Jammu, said the police had handled the situation in the past three months in a professional manner.
“Besides handling law and order effectively, in the operations against terrorists, substantial gains have been made,” the DGP said.
The Lt. Governor also praised the role of the J&K Police for maintenance of law and order and complimented them for the peaceful conduct of elections to the panchayat and urban local bodies last year. He advised the police officers to stay alert and deal firmly with the elements inimical to the safety and security of the Union Territory.
Published - November 04, 2019 02:04 pm IST
