Srinagar, May 28
Militants struck yet again on the holy Amarnath cave route and near the Dal Lake, triggering two blasts and causing injuries to about 44 persons, including six Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.
In other militancy-related incidents across the valley, a militant and two soldiers were among five persons killed overnight.
The DIG, South Kashmir, Sheikh Owais Ahmad, said a blast took place near the post office at K.P. Road on the Anantnag-Amarnath cave route at 1.10 p.m.
He said the injured were admitted to hospitals, where six persons, including two CRPF personnel, were discharged after first-aid.
Five critically injured civilians and four CRPF personnel, who received splinter wounds, were rushed to hospital here.
About the blast, he said it was an improvised explosive device (IED), which could have been triggered by militants through a timer.
However, he said it was not yet known whether the IED was planted in the car parked near a CRPF vehicle or it was on the road.
This is the second major blast on the Amarnath cave route during the past one week. On May 24, a bridge at Sadu Padav, near Chandanwari, was blown up by militants by triggering an IED.
Meanwhile, unidentified militants hurled a hand grenade towards a security force vehicle near the crowded bus stand at Dal Gate on the banks of the Dal Lake this afternoon.
The grenade missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside, causing injuries to 20 persons. The injured were admitted to hospital where the condition of a girl is stated to be critical.
There was no tourist among the injured, officials confirmed.
Sources said militants entered the house of Zareefa at Kralgun Handwara late last night and shot her dead.
The body of Rayaz Ahmad, who was abducted by militants from his house on May 17, was taken out from the Jhelum at Awantipora this morning.
The security forces gunned down foreign militant Sajjad Afghani in an encounter at Kantipora in the frontier district of Kupwara last night. One AK rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the militant.
Two soldiers also lost their lives and another was injured in the encounter.
— UNI
