Jammu, July 21
In the first major strike on Vaishno Devi pilgrims, militants tonight launched two grenade attacks in quick succession killing at least seven devotees, including a child, and injuring 42, 10 of them seriously, at Banganga, 2 km from Katra, on way to the Vaishno Devi shrine, police sources here said.

Jammu and Kashmir Minister of state for Public Health Engineering Jugal Kishore said a grenade was hurled by militants at a large number of devotees who gathered for food at a community kitchen (langar) at around 9.15 pm.

He said another grenade was lobbed 10 minutes later near the community kitchen where pilgrims were served food on their way to and return from the shrine, he said, adding that seven persons were killed and 42 injured in the attacks.

Three of the seven victims have been identified as Daljeet Singh (35) of Shahpur in Punjab, Harpreet Singh (20) of Ludhiana and Kulveer Singh (4), sources said. PTI

The minister, who is the MLA from the area, said security in the area was not strengthened despite his repeated pleas to the police administration.

Mr Kishore said the seriously wounded were admitted to Jammu Medical College.

Security personnel in the entire Jammu division were put on high alert to prevent possible backlash following the militant strikes at Banganga, police sources said.

Minister of State for Home Chinmayanand said the ISI or the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba could be behind tonight’s attacks aimed at arousing communal passions.

Such incidents, he said, take place whenever there were signs of improving relations between India and Pakistan.

The police estimated nearly 2,000 pilgrims were there near the community kitchen at the time of the blasts. Since a large number of devotees on their way to and return from the temple take food at the community kitchen, officials here fear the casualty figure may go up.

This is the peak season for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage and on an average 15,000 devotees visit the shrine everyday.

Security along the entire route from Jammu to Vaishno Devi was recently beefed up on the recommendation of a team of Union Home Ministry officials, which had visited the area last month.

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed condemned tonight’s twin blasts saying that it was an attempt to derail the peace process.

“This is an attempt to derail the peace process,” he said.

Condemning the attack, Governor Lieut-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd), who is also the Chairman of the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, said “this is a desperate attempt by the militants to make their presence felt in the area.”

National Conference President Omar Abdullah, deploring the attack, demanded a thorough probe into the “serious” security lapse.