Srinagar, May 19
A day after the police recovered 70 kg IED on the outskirts of the city, suspected militants today carried out two grenade attacks in the Valley leaving 10 persons injured. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A youth wearing a college uniform lobbed a grenade towards the Sopore police station, 52 km from here in north Kashmir, at 9.50 am. The grenade exploded at the main gate of the police station, injuring four policemen and six pedestrians. The police suspect the involvement of the Lashkar-e-Toiba in the attack.

The explosion during morning rush hour created panic in the area and disrupted normal life. Search operations were launched in the area soon after the attack, but no arrests have been made so far.

The injured were shifted to the local hospital. Two policemen and an equal number of civilians were referred to hospitals here.

In the second incident, militants threw a grenade at a police picket in the busy Batamaloo area near the Civil Secretariat here this afternoon. The grenade missed its intended target and exploded on the roadside.

No one was hurt in the incident.

This is the first such attack in the area during the recent months and particularly after the Durbar moved to the summer capital early this month.

On Thursday evening, the police had averted a major tragedy by recovering 70 kg Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted in a Maruti car on the Bypass near Chhanapora. The police said militants were trying to target the city with the onset of summer.

The police and 47 RR busted a militant hideout in Kandi forest area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir. One AK-56 rifle, one AK magazine, 18 rounds of AK ammunition, 20 Pika rounds, one UBGL, one IED circuit, one antenna, one IED switch, 8 UBGL rounds, five RPG rounds, one RPG booster, four electronic detonator and five Chinese grenades, were recovered from the hideout.