SRINAGAR: A civilian was killed and 13 others, including a traffic policeman, were injured in a grenade attack in Srinagar, on Wednesday. Suspected militants lobbed a grenade towards a CRPF deployment at the busy Jehangir Chowk in Srinagar around 6 pm. The grenade missed the intended target and exploded on a road, said officials.
Fourteen people sustained splinter injuries in the blast in the area, which was abuzz with activity when the grenade attack took place, said a police spokesperson.
The injured persons were referred to nearby SMHS hospital, where one of the critically injured succumbed.
The deceased was identified as Maqsood Ahmad Shah, resident of Budgam. After the grenade attack, police and CRPF personnel rushed to the spot to collect evidence. Top security officials also visited the spot to take stock of the situation. Traffic remained disrupted for some time in the area. However, normalcy was restored later. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
After the recent fidayeen attack on District Police Lines (DPL) Pulwama in south Kashmir in which eight security men were killed and more than a dozen were injured, security agencies had sounded an alert and asked personnel to remain extra vigilant to thwart militant attacks in the Valley, including in Srinagar.
In fresh raids, NIA seizes deposits worth K1 crore
A day after three top Kashmiri separatist leaders said they would court arrest outside the National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters in New Delhi on September 9, the NIA on Thursday conducted fresh raids at residences of separatist leaders and traders at 10 locations in Jammu and Kashmir in its ongoing investigation into militancy and separatist funding in the state.
The NIA sleuths seized fixed deposits worth `1 crore and other incriminating material during the raids. An NIA spokesperson said the agency sleuths conducted raids at the residences and offices of separatist leaders and traders engaged in cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade on Thursday. He said the raids and searches were conducted at nine locations in Kashmir, one in Jammu, winter capital of the State. “A raid was also conducted at a premise at Gurugram,” the spokesperson added.
Among those whose premises were searched were separatist leaders Ghulam Nabi Sumji and Syed Aga Hassan Budgami, both close to hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani. The NIA teams also raided the residences Zameer Sheikh and Razzaq Choudhary — both close aides of senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, who is in custody of Enforcement Directorate. Besides, the NIA also searched the house of JKLF leader Showkat Ahmad Bakshi. He is a close confidante of JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.
Ceasefire breach
Pakistani troops on Thursday breached border ceasefire and fired on army positions in Poonch sector of the State injuring two army porters, said defence spokesperson.