11 grenade explosion in four days leave security forces in a tizzy

From guns to grenades, militants are now using cost-effective and the least-risky tactics to target security forces in the restive Jammu and Kashmir.

For the last four days, militants have carried out 11 grenade attacks, injuring 37 people including 17 security men, across the Kashmir valley, spurring fears that the new consignment of grenades might have arrived from Pakistan.

Most of the grenade explosions have been carried out by the Jaish-e-Mohommad, which has received fresh reinforcements from Pakistan after around two dozen highly motivated ultras infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir from Pir Panjal and other areas along the Line of Control (LoC).

Sources said the grenade attacks are part of a new strategy evolved by the militants to save their cadres from being exposed and killed by the security forces.

"Grenade attacks are cost-effective and least risky. Militants, without getting exposed, lob grenades and flee. In some cases, they arrive in a car or on a bike and lob the grenade. In this manner, they are not getting into a direct confrontation with the forces because post attack, they flee and forces remain busy in sanitising the area", said a security force officer.

Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Shesh Paul Vaid, told DNA that it seems that the militants have received a fresh supply of the grenades. "Obviously grenades are not manufactured here. It seems they have been supplied with it," he said

The police chief said that the only strategy to counter this is to catch the people involved in these incidents. "We have already busted one module in Srinagar and we will bust other one. We are working on it," said Vaid.

Inspector General of CRPF (Operations) Zulfikar Hassan said they are working and trying to find out the reasons behind the spurt in grenade blasts.

The grenade incidents have further put the Ramzan ceasefire under strain with militants not thinking much of it by carrying out attacks at will.

Since the ceasefire was announced, around 13 militants, three civilians and two security men have been killed in different incidents. On the first day of Ramzan on May 17, a civilian was tortured to death by suspected militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba at Hajin in Bandipora district.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti advised the new Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh to work in synergy with other security agencies and ensure that maximum relief is extended to people and hope generated by the ceasefire among common masses is sustained and further carried forward.