Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on September 29 strongly condemned the twin blasts in Udhampur city and said security agencies must wake up to the challenge.
There were twin bomb blasts in Udhampur city within nine hours from Wednesday night to Thursday morning in which two persons were injured and three vehicles suffered damages.
"We strongly condemned the blasts. We express serious concern over such incidents in the area, where northern headquarters of the Army is located besides repeated incidents in sensitive Katra -Udhampur region," JKPCC senior leader Ravinder Sharma said.
Mr. Sharma termed these incidents as warning signals and matter of great concern. "Two blasts in less than eight hours in the Udhampur city, leaving two injured is highly condemnable and cause of great concern," he said.
Bomb disposal squad members inspect after a blast took place in a bus parked at a bus stand in Udhampur, on Thursday morning, September 29, 2022. | Photo Credit: PTI
Earlier two such incidents had taken place in Udhampur and Katra. On March 9, a blast in Udhampur city had left one dead and a dozen injured, he said.
He further said that besides another blast occurred in a bus in Katra area on May 12, causing death of four pilgrims and injuries to 22 others.
"Series of such incidents in this sensitive region, where holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is located besides the major installations of the Army's northern command headquarters are located, is a serious issue and security agencies must wake up to the challenge," Mr. Sharma said.
The party also sought adequate ex gratia relief and best possible free of cost treatment to the injured.
A blast in a bus parked at a stand in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur city on Thursday morning, the second within a few hours, sent security agencies in a tizzy as they sounded a high alert, sources said.
The roof and the backside of the bus were blown away by the blast that occurred around 5.30 a.m. on Thursday but no one was injured, they said.
On Wednesday night, a blast occurred in an empty bus parked near a petrol pump at Domail Chowk, injuring two people, sources said, adding the bus used to be parked at the spot daily.
The bus on which the second blast occurred had come from Basantgarh in Udhampur district and was on night halt at the bus stand. It was scheduled to leave for Basantgarh in the morning.
