The attack took place at 1.20 pm, a time the Hari Singh High Street market was crowded with people and roadside vendors

due to fewer customers following shifting of the capital to Jammu as part of bi-annual 'darbar move', officials said.

While public transport was off the roads in most parts of the Valley, the movement of private vehicles in the city was less than usual as a large number of government employees have shifted base to Jammu.

A large number of roadside vendors set up their stalls on the TRC crossing-batamaloo axis in the city but the number of customers was less, the officials said.

Efforts of the state government to open schools have not borne any fruit as parents continue to keep the children at home due to apprehensions about their safety. However, board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 are going on according

to schedule. Landline and postpaid mobile phone services have been restored across the valley, but all internet services continue to remain suspended since August 5.

Most top level and second rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers -- Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti -- have been either detained or placed under house arrest.

The government has detained Farooq Abdullah, former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, under the controversial Public Safety Act, a law enacted by his father and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1978 when he was chief minister.