Three grenade blasts rock Srinagar

Two people including a jawan were injured in the incident which was aimed to create panic

SRINAGAR: Four days before the start of annual Amaranth yatra, militants triggered three grenade blasts in a span of two hours in Srinagar on Saturday.

 The first blast occurred in the morning when militants lobbed a powerful grenade on the civil secretariat from the rear side. The grenade however missed the intended target and exploded outside the premises. In the incident,  two people including a CRPF havaldar and a woman were injured.

“The grenade exploded near hotel Broad View which is quite a distance from the civil secretariat premises”, said Syed Afad-ul-Mujtaba, SSP Srinagar. 

In the afternoon, militant struck again at Botshah Mohalla when they lobbed a grenade on the picket of CRPF. Though no one was injured in the blast, the deafening sound created panic in the area.

Just four kms away militants surfaced again and lobbed a grenade on the battalion picket at Firdous Cinema in Hawal. “We are still looking for the splinters which we have not found so far,” said Afad.

The blasts rocked Srinagar after three months lull. The explosions have sent shivers down the spine of the security agencies which have been preparing for the security of five lakh pilgrims expected to visit the cave shrine.

“We have taken all sort of precautionary measures to maintain order in the city,” said Mohammad Subhan Lone, DIG
central Kashmir range.

h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net