Pulwama, Apr 2: Police on Friday said that militants blew up a railway track in this south Kashmir district.
“The militants detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Galbug, nearly 3 kilometers from the Kakapora Railway station last night damaging nearly 2-feet railway track,” a police official said.
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Pulwama, Kifayat Hyder termed the attack as a “mischief.” “I won’t call it an attack. It is a mischief,” he said.
Meanwhile, the rail service on the track was suspended and resumed in the afternoon only. “We started the repair work on the damaged railway track early in the morning and by afternoon it was restored,” said Chief Area Manager Northern Railways, Opendar Singh.
 Pertinently, this is for the first time that the railway service has been targeted since it started in the valley 2-years ago.

POLICE ASSURES PROTECTION
 Following the attack the police assured railways of full protection to its properties.
 “I spoke to the Director General of JK police Kuldeep Khoda and he assured me that all possible measures are being taken to prevent such incidents in the state,” Northern Railway General Manager SK Budhalakoti told PTI.
 He said the state government has a major role to play in protecting railway properties and officials of the PSU were in constant touch with the JK police given the significance of the Kashmir rail link.

GOVT EMPLOYEE HELD
 Police on Friday said that it arrested a government employee, Showkat Ahmed Bhat, from north Kashmir’s Varmul district.
 “Bhat who works as an orderly in Roads and Buildings Department, was traveling in a passenger bus from Srinagar to Varmul when he was arrested by police at Pothkhah, 40 kms from here, last evening. A Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight rounds, a grenade thrower, four UBGL grenades, four AK magazines with 102 rounds of ammunition, a wireless set and four hand grenades were seized from Bhat’s possession,” a police official said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 3 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST