Tourist among 2 killed in Gulmarg grenade attack
Two persons were killed and four injured in a grenade attack in Gulmarg.
By Masood Hussain, TNN |
SRINAGAR: TWO persons were killed and four injured on Sunday in a grenade attack in Gulmarg. The blast signals an upsurge in terror attack in the Valley as it comes a day after IED blast near Srinagar which killed nine jawans.
Suspected militants tossed a grenade towards a security picket outside a local telephone exchange on Sunday evening. It missed the target and exploded on the road in which six persons���all locals except one tourist���received splinter injuries. They were sent to the local hospital where the tourist���Ashok Kumar from UP��� and Mohamad Yousuf���a local resident���died.
The explosion���so far not claimed by any organisation���is the first such attack in Gulmarg in the two decades of turmoil and violence.
An official said the picnic spot was crowded during the whole day as usual and the blast forced the merry-makers to leave home.
Traders involved with tourism are shocked over the incident as tourists had just started to come to Gulmarg after a long agitation the Valley over Amarnathji land row. "We were hoping that things would pick up again after the agitation but now we have this unfortunate incident," a hotelier, Abdul Hamid, said. It has been a brisk tourist year as so far over a million people, including Amarnath-bound pilgrims visited Kashmir.
Militant actions, off late, have witnessed an upsurge across the state. On Friday a grenade lobbed towards a parked CRPF vehicle left more than 23 people injured.
Governor N N Vohra, whose takeover as J&K���s chief executive after the collapse of the elected government last week witnessed militant upsurge, on Sunday drove to the hospital and enquired about the welfare of the injured troops.
Security officials who are insisting that more militants have sneaked in say the militancy-related incidents do take place as the security grid starts preparing for Independence day. But they believe the attacks are deadly and more in number this time.
Suspected militants tossed a grenade towards a security picket outside a local telephone exchange on Sunday evening. It missed the target and exploded on the road in which six persons���all locals except one tourist���received splinter injuries. They were sent to the local hospital where the tourist���Ashok Kumar from UP��� and Mohamad Yousuf���a local resident���died.
The explosion���so far not claimed by any organisation���is the first such attack in Gulmarg in the two decades of turmoil and violence.
An official said the picnic spot was crowded during the whole day as usual and the blast forced the merry-makers to leave home.
Traders involved with tourism are shocked over the incident as tourists had just started to come to Gulmarg after a long agitation the Valley over Amarnathji land row. "We were hoping that things would pick up again after the agitation but now we have this unfortunate incident," a hotelier, Abdul Hamid, said. It has been a brisk tourist year as so far over a million people, including Amarnath-bound pilgrims visited Kashmir.
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Also on Sunday, in Kunda-Pangai forests of Thanamandi that falls in border Rajouri district, Major Bhanu Pratap Singh of 43 Rashtriya Rifles and SOG constable Anjeev Rana were killed in a fierce encounter that left three other securitymen injured. Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel S D Goswami told reporters in Jammu that the encounter that had started on the weekend is still on. In Bandipore, defence spokesman here said, troops from 23-Punjab and 10-Para killed two militants in Chaliban and the operation is still in progress.Militant actions, off late, have witnessed an upsurge across the state. On Friday a grenade lobbed towards a parked CRPF vehicle left more than 23 people injured.
Governor N N Vohra, whose takeover as J&K���s chief executive after the collapse of the elected government last week witnessed militant upsurge, on Sunday drove to the hospital and enquired about the welfare of the injured troops.
Security officials who are insisting that more militants have sneaked in say the militancy-related incidents do take place as the security grid starts preparing for Independence day. But they believe the attacks are deadly and more in number this time.
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