Cop among eight persons injured in Srinagar grenade blast

SRINAGAR — A police inspector with Anti Corruption Bureau and a couple were among eight persons injured in a grenade blast amid heightened security arrangements on the eve of January 26 at Hari Singh High Street area of central Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Tuesday, officials said.

They said the militants targeted a joint team of police and CRPF. However, the grenade missed the target and exploded on the roadside, causing splinter injuries to eight persons including a couple Tanveera (38) and her husband Muhammad Shafi Bhat (43) of Chattabal Srinagar.

The other injured include police inspector, working with ACB identified as Tanveer Hussain (40), Asmat (40) wife of Zahoor Ahmad of Charar-e-Sharief Budgam, Nusrat (48) wife of Dr Tazeem of Nawab Bazar Srinagar, Zahoor Ahmad Lone (30) son of Ghulam Rasool of Khaniyar, Imtiyaz Ahmad (25) son of Abdul Gafar Wani of Lal Chowk and Gayas-u-Din (35) son of Zain-ul-Aabudin of Assam.

All of them were shifted to nearby SMHS Hospital and their condition is stable, Dr Kawaljeet Singh told GNS.

A top Police officer confirmed the blast to GNS and said that the whole area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers. He said that a case has been registered and further investigations are underway.

Senior Police officers immediately reached the spot, he said.

“At about 1525 hours, unknown (militants) hurled a grenade upon a Police vehicle near Hari Singh High Street, Srinagar. In this incident, however, few civilians sustained minor splinter injuries, besides causing minor damage to the police vehicle,” a police spokesperson said in a statement to GNS.

“All the injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, wherefrom they have been discharged after required treatment,” the statement added.

It added, “Police have registered a case in this regard under relevant sections of law and investigation is in progress. Officers continue to work to establish the full circumstances of this (incident)”.

Soon after the attack, police queued up pedestrians and subjected them to frisking, reports said.

Grenade thrower arrested: IGP Kashmir

Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested the person involved in a grenade attack at Hari Singh High Street here.

“Police arrested grenade thrower who was involved in today’s incident at Hari Singh High Street Srinagar in which a few civilians and one police personnel got injured,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said in a tweet as per GNS. “Investigation is going on,” he added.

In another tweet, the IGP identified him as “chronic stone pelter Aijaz Wani son of Fayaz Wani of Fatehkadal, Srinagar”.

Talking to GNS, the IGP said investigations have revealed that Wani threw the grenade at the behest of militants.