Ahead of R-day, militants strike at several places

A police officer’s guard and a civilian were injured when militants lobbed a grenade in Anantnag town on Friday afternoon, even as a similar explosion took place in the adjoining Pulwama district in the evening.

A source told Greater Kashmir that militants attacked a police party at a bus stand in Anantnag town with a grenade at around 4.30 p.m, injuring an Indian police service officer’s guard and a passer-by.

   

The injured policeman was identified as constable Sajad Ahmad, who was deployed as a personal security officer with an on-training IPS officer who had gone inside a police station in the area minutes before the grenade explosion took place.

The civilian was identified as Aabid Ahmad of Trahpoo of Achabal area in Anantnag district.

The duo sustained splinter injuries and was treated at district hospital Anantnag, the source said.

Soon after the blast, the forces resorted to aerial firing and cordoned off the area to nab the attackers.

Minutes before, suspected militants reportedly lobbed a grenade at police station Srigufwara in Dochnipora area of Bijbehara.

The grenade exploded inside the police station near its boundary wall, a source said.

No loss of life or injury to anyone was reported in the incident.

However, deputy inspector general of police, south Kashmir range Amit Kumar denied that any grenade attack took place in Srigufwara.

“It was the sound of a snag in a power transformer in the locality,” he claimed.

He, however, confirmed the grenade blast in Anantnag town.

The grenade attack took place ahead of officials R-day functions being held on Saturday, even as security across southern Kashmir has been tightened to thwart possible strikes by militants.

GRENADE ATTACK IN PULWAMA

Meanwhile, militants lobbed a grenade at a central reserve police force (CRPF) camp in Tahab area of southern Pulwama district on Friday evening, the police said.

The grenade, which exploded with a bang, was hurled at around 6.35 pm, a senior police officer said.

The CRPF personnel on duty retaliated by firing at the militants, who, however, managed to escape from the spot, he said.

Following the attack, the army’s rashtriya rifles, Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF rushed to the spot and launched searches to nab the attackers.

However, none was arrested until the last reports came in. There were no reports of injuries to anyone in the incident.

SENTRY FIRES IN AIR IN RAJPORA

Meanwhile, a sentry at Rajpora police station in Pulwama district Friday evening fired a few gunshots in the air after “noticing some suspicious movement” near the police station, officials said.

Senior superintendent of police Pulwama Chandan Kohli confirmed the incident and said searches have been launched in the area.

CRPF BUNKER ATTACKED IN SOPORE:

Suspected militants attacked a bunker of the central reserve police force (CRPF) in northern Sopore town on Friday evening, officials said.

Senior superintendent of police Sopore Javid Iqbal said a team of police officials has been deputed to the site “to ascertain the nature of blast”.

There was no immediate report of any injury to anyone in the blast.

MILITANTS ATTACK CRPF CAMP IN TRAL:

Militants on Friday evening fired towards Central Reserve Police Force camp in Midoora hamlet of Tral township in Pulwama district, police said.

Superintendent of police Awantipora Mohammad Zahid Malik told Greater Kashmir that militants fired towards CRPF camp from a distance in Midoora at 8:20 PM on Friday. The CRPF troopers on duty retaliated the attack by firing towards the militants. 

The brief exchange of fire continued for some time “but no loss of life or injury was reported”.

FORCES LAUNCH SEARCHES NEAR LOC IN POONCH:

Security forces Friday launched searches in several villages located close to the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati area in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

A source said the army and Jammu and Kashmir police jointly launched the searches in villages of Sagra and other areas following “some inputs”.

The searches were on when last reports came in.

BLAST IN LAL MANDI:

A mysterious blast occurred in Lal Mandi area of Srinagar on Friday evening when the CRPF personnel from the 144 battalion were on a patrol, officials said. No damage was caused in the blast.

“The CRPF men of 144 battalion were on an evening patrol and a mysterious blast occurred. It was not clear whether the blast occurred due to grenade or a petrol bomb,” a CRPF official said. He said a thick cover of smoke was seen at the site of explosion.

“No damage was caused by the explosion,” he said.

Sentry resorts to aerial firing in Pulwama   

A sentry at army camp located in Shadimarg area of Pulwama district on Friday night fired few rounds in air after noticing some suspicious movement near the camp, SSP Pulwama, Chandan Kohli told Greater Kashmir.

He said, “Soon after the incident searches were launched to trace the attackers.” 

No grenade attack in Srinagar: Police 

In a statement issued late in the night a police spokesman said, “It is clarified that there was no grenade attack on CRPF or SSB in Srinagar. The sound was caused by bursting of firecrackers in the area. General public is requested not to pay any heed to rumors.”  

JeM claims 8 grenade attacks 

Militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed that it carried eight grenade attacks across Kashmir on Friday.

A spokesperson of JeM in a statement issued to a local news agency GNS said its men carried out grenade attack at police station Srigurwara area of Anantnag in which “one personnel was killed and several others injured.”

He said JeM carried out grenade attack on security forces’ party near General Bus Stand, Anantnag in which several personnel were severely injured and were taken to a nearby hospital “where their condition is said to be critical.”

The spokesperson added:”JeM carried out a grenade attack on CRPF camps at Tahab and Rajpora areas of Pulwama in which several personnel were critically wounded. Rajpora was the fourth attack in a day.”

The fifth attack in a day by JeM was carried out in north Kashmir’s Sopore in which several personnel were injured, he said adding the outfit’s men carried out the sixth grenade attack in Mehjoor Nagar in which several forces personnel were injured.

The spokesman JeM said it carried Friday’s 7th attack on forces’ camp at Midoora, Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The eighth attack, he said, was carried out near Iqbal park Srinagar. 

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