School kids among 20 injured in J&K grenade attack

SRINAGAR: Eight school children were among 28 people injured in two separate explosions triggered by militants in Pulwama and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

While 20 people, including eight school children, were injured when militants hurled a grenade on a security patrol at crowded Tral bus stand in Pulwama district at around 3 pm which missed its target and exploded on the road.

Condition of four of the injured in the blast was stated to be serious and have been shifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment, they said adding the seriously injured included a girl who alongwith her friends was waiting at the bus stand.

The sources said firing shots were heard soon after the blast. The gun-shots were apparently fired in air by the troops in self-defenece.

They said the day started on an ugly note as a vehicle carrying eight civilian passengers ran over a land-mine at Warnav in Lolab area of North Kashmir's Kupwara district this morning, injuring all of them and also causing damage to the vehicle.

The sources said the injured were provided medical assistance by Rashtriya Rifles and later shifted to hospital. However, all of them were discharged.

No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the two explosions.