TWO CRPF MEN, 7 CIVILIANS HURT IN SRINAGAR GRENADE BLAST
IN THE HEART OF THE CITY Attack aims at creating panic, ensuring normalcy doesn’t return to Valley, says CISF IG
SRINAGAR: Two security personnel and seven civilians were injured in a grenade attack by militants on CRPF personnel in Lal Chowk area of the city on Sunday.
The militants hurled a grenade on the CRPF personnel posted on duty near Pratap Park in busy Lal Chowk area of the city, a police official said.
The nine injured persons were shifted to a hospital, he said.
The loud explosion caused panic among the people, especially those who had come to the weekly flea market, also known as Sunday market, the official said.
Security forces have cordoned off the area, he added.
At least eight such grenade attacks have been reported in Srinagar since the Centre nullified Article 370 on August 5 to withdraw the special status accorded to the erstwhile state.
Last week, Vijay Kumar, Kashmir’s inspector general of police, said local militants were making low-intensity grenades and carrying out attacks to make their presence felt.
SRINAGAR: Nine persons, including two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men, were injured in a grenade attack in Srinagar on Sunday.
Officials said that suspected militants lobbed a grenade towards CRPF personnel, who were on law and order duty at Pratap Park in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk.
“Two personnel of Charlie 171 company received minor injuries while seven civilians were also hurt in the attack,” said CRPF spokesman Pankaj Singh.
A police official said that the two CRPF men were shifted to a medical facility inside police control room (PCR), Srinagar, while the civilians were taken to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital. “The injured are stable,” said the officer.
One of seven injured men has been discharged as well, added CRPF spokesman.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Srinagar, Haseeb Mughal, said that the grenade was lobbed inside the park where the CRPF men were deployed.
“The grenade was lobbed inside the Pratap Park on the corner of it near taxi stand. The CRPF men were inside the park,” he said. “We are trying to identify the attackers,” he said.
Security forces are usually deployed in Lal Chowk area and the place remains abuzz with activities on Sunday owing to rush of people to the weekly flea market.
The loud explosion caused panic among the people who ran for their safety while the traffic movement also became thin.
On January 24, three persons, including two security men, were injured in a grenade attack by suspected militants at Safa Kadal in Old City.
On the spurt in grenade attacks in Srinagar, Kashmir inspector general of police, Vijay Kumar, last week had said that the local militants were making improvised grenades. “Local militants are making locally improvised grenades and they want to make their presence felt.”
He said that Srinagar was witnessing floating movement of militants because of the neighbouring districts. “Wherever we get the inputs we act immediately,” he said.
Medical Superintendent of SMHS hospital Nazir Choudhary said seven injured civilians were brought to the hospital.
“Four are under observation while three have been discharged. All are stable,” he said.
CRPF inspector general (IG) Ravideep Singh Sahi said people responsible for the attack are trying to create apprehension among locals so that normalcy does not return.
“This is an incident of grenade throwing during the busy Sunday market. Two CRPF personnel sustained minor injuries. Those who threw the grenade want to panic locals so that normalcy does not return,” Sahi told reporters.