Srinagar, November 16
Four persons were killed and 63 injured in an IED explosion outside
the Corporate Headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir Bank near the Tourist
Reception Centre (TRC) here this morning. Those injured, included a
former Minister of state, Usman Majeed, 12 police personnel and 10
women the police said. More than 40 others, most of them officials of
the bank were injured inside the premises due to breaking of glass
panes by the impact of the explosion, while the guard at the main gate
was among four persons killed.
Former Minister in the PDP-led coalition government, Usman Majeed,
whose vehicle was also damaged while on moving near the site of the
explosion, was also injured in the explosion. His car and several
other vehicles were damaged due to the explosion, which took place at
10.15 am. The incident took place barely hours after the conclusion of
25-hour-long suicide attack in Central Lal Chowk area and another
grenade explosion at a rally of former Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir at
Tangmarg yesterday. At least six vehicles including official
Ambassador car of the former Minister Usman Majeed, escort gypsy, two
private vehicles and a mini bus carrying passengers were heavily
damaged. Many other vehicles in the nearby tourist taxi stand and the
glass panes of the Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, building, were broken due
to the blast.
DIG Police, Kashmir Range, H.K. Lohia said that the explosion was
caused due to an IED fitted in a Maruti car on the main road leading
from MA Road to the TRC. Those injured included passengers in the mini
bus that was on the move at the time of the explosion. Mr Lohia
however, ruled out any possibility of the link between the two recent
major incidents of suicide attack in Lal Chowk and the grenade attack
on the former ministers public rally at Tangmarg yesterday.
According to the police, the Al-Arifeen outfit a front organisation
of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, has owned responsibility of the attack.
Preliminary investigations indicated body of the suicide bomber was
blown to pieces.
The injured have been admitted to various hospitals here, where the
condition of more than 10 persons was stated to be critical. Of the
injured, 38 have been admitted to the SMHS hospital, 13 to the SKIMS,
Soura, three at the Bone and Joints Hospital and 11 others including
former Minister, Usman Majeed are undergoing treatment at the police
Hospital.
The security guard at the main gate of the Corporate Headquarters
of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, who was killed in the incident has been
identified as Ghulam Rasool from Dooraswan, Sogam area of Kupwara
district. Others killed were identified as Abdul Hameed Naqash, Nazir
Ahmad and Abdul Rehman Bhat, all residents of different localities
here.
Two CRPF personnel were killed in an ambush by suspected militants
at Awantipora, 30 km south of here on the Srinagar Jammu national
highway this morning.
Meanwhile, death toll in the grenade explosion at the public
meeting of former Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir at Tangmarg yesterday has
gone up to six, when three others succumbed to their injures in the
hospital since last evening. At least three others were killed on the
spot and 60 including the former Minister and senior PDP leader were
injured in the explosion.
