Two labourers from UP killed in Shopian grenade attack: Police

SHOPIAN — Two non-local labourers were killed in a grenade attack late on Monday night in Harmain area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

A police official told the news agency KNO that militants lobbed a grenade at the rented accommodation of the labourers in which two of them sustained fatal injuries.

He said that in the incident, two non-local labourers identified as Manish Kumar and Ram Sagar, both residents of Kanoj Uttar Pradesh, succumbed later.

“Terrorists lobbed hand grenade in Harmen Shopian in which two labourers from UP namely Monish Kumar and Ram Sagar, both residents of Kanooj, UP got injured. They were shifted to the hospital where they succumbed. Area cordoned off,” Kashmir Police Zone tweeted.

Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar said that two hybrid militants have been arrested in connection with the grenade lobbing incident at Harmain area of Shopian late last night and the hunt for others is on.

Talking to reporters at the site of the incident, ADGP Kumar said that one hybrid militant involved in the act of grenade throwing that led to the killing of two labourers from Uttar Pradesh, was arrested late last night and early morning today, another one was arrested. “Two persons have been arrested so far and the main accused has confessed to the crime,” Kumar said, adding that a hunt for other members of the group is on and very soon, they will be tracked down.

Kumar said that during the course of the investigation, it was found that the main accused had lobbed the grenade at the behest of Lashkar-e-Toiba commanders Danish and Abid. “Claim made by Al-Badr is fake. The fact is that Lashkar is behind the act,” he said, adding that searches are underway in the area and very soon Lashkar commanders Danish and Abid will be killed.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman in a statement to KNO, said that militants killed two outside labourers in a grenade attack in Hermain area of Shopian in the dead of the night while they were asleep. “At about 11:45 PM, Shopian Police received information about a terror crime incident at Hermain, Shopian, where militants had lobbed a hand grenade at outside labourers while they were sleeping in their rented accommodation,” the statement said, adding that “in this terror crime incident, two outside labourers identified as Monish Kumar and Ram Sagar, both residents of Kanooj, UP received critical splinter injuries. Both the injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital. However, they succumbed.”

The police spokesman said that the whole area was cordoned off and a massive joint cordon and search operation was launched. “The investigation conducted revealed that the grenade at the accommodation of the labourers was thrown by one hybrid militant linked with LeT, identified as Imran Bashir Ganie of Hermain, Shopian, who was promptly arrested by police within hours of the terror crime incident. Apart from confessing about his involvement in the gruesome terror crime, he led police to the arrest of his accomplice,” the spokesman said.

Pertinently, during a CASO, although contact with militants was established, they managed to flee from the spot. However, the efforts are on to nab them. Moreover, CASOs to nab the other involved is in progress at many places.