J&K mantri escapes Tral attack, two killed

A Jammu & Kashmir minister escaped unhurt while two civilians, including a woman, were killed and 30 others, including seven CRPF jawans and two policemen, were injured in a grenade attack in Tral town in Pulwama district on Thursday, police said.

Unofficial reports put the death toll at three and the number of injured at 39.

Police officials said public works department (PWD) minister Syed Naeem Akhtar Andrabi’s cavalcade appeared to be militants’ target but the grenade missed the target and exploded close to CRPF and police contingents deployed at the bus stand.

Two pedestrians killed in the attack were identified as Pinky Kour and Ghulam Nabi Trag, both Tral residents.

Mr Andrabi told reporters, “It is really unfortunate that the grenade was lobbed at our cavalcade when we reached Tral bazaar. The attacker is neither a friend of Tral nor Kashmir. He is not a friend of Islam also.”

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said, “It is unfortunate that the attack took place when a minister had gone to the town to assess the development needs.”

Later, Union home minister Rajnath Singh and J&K governor N.N. Vohra spoke to Mr Andrabi on phone and inquired about his wellbeing.

SECURITY FORCES on Thursday launched a search operation in Banihal hills of Jammu region for three youth allegedly involved in Wednesday night’s attack on the members of SSB near Jawahar tunnel along the Srinagar-Jammu highway

OFFICIALS SUSPECT three youth from Banihal’s Kaskoot and Ashar villages, who are missing since Wednesday, carried out the attack