Two mobile showrooms, tower attacked in Srinagar

Security personnel inspect a telecom showroom in Srinagar that was damaged in a grenade attack.— Photo: Nissar Ahmad

Grenade blasts ripped through the showrooms of two telecom companies and a mobile-phone tower here on Friday, injuring a man.

Witnesses said the attackers ordered out everyone from the Aircel and Vodafone showrooms at Karan Nagar, just 300 metres from the zonal police headquarters, and lobbed a grenade inside around 11.30 a.m. In the afternoon, a grenade was hurled at the tower at nearby Shaheed Gunj.

“A pedestrian, Mohammad Faheem from Bihar, was wounded when unidentified militants threw a grenade at the tower,” police spokesperson Manoj Pandita said.

The police started a search soon, but were unable to arrest anyone. No militant group has so far taken responsibility for the blasts.

The attacks have come a day after Hizbul Mujahideen >expelled it's top commander Abdul Quyoom Najar for involvement in a similar attack six weeks ago and for killing six people.

“The report submitted by the inquiry commission has proved that Qayoom Najar, in utter disregard of the Hizb leadership, violated the constitution of the outfit and carried out condemnable acts which our constitution does not allow or permit,” the organisation said. “Such anti-people activities always prove counterproductive to the freedom movement and advertently or inadvertently, such acts help the anti-movement elements.”