Powerful car bomb kills 4 in Srinagar

Four persons, including three cops and a woman, were killed and nine wounded in a powerful car bomb explosion near the high security Srinagar central jail on Saturday evening.

A senior police officer said terrorists carried out a powerful car bomb explosion targetting a police bus, which had dropped detenues inside the central jail.

"The bus was returning, when it was caught up in the massive explosion extensively damaging it and resulting in on the spot death of an assistant sub-inspector of police, a constable and a woman bystander," a senior police officer said.

He said nine cops, including a head constable, were injured in the explosion that shook the area. The intensity of the blast was heard across Srinagar as people were preparing to break their Ramadan fast.

Kashmir Inspector General of Police Farooq Ahmad and other police and paramilitary officers have reached the spot. The area has been cordoned off for searches.

The injured policemen were evacuated to hospital for treatment. Condition of three cops is stated to be serious.

Police sources said the militants detonated an explosive laden car when the police bus reached near it in the Kathidarwaza area of Rainawari locality.

The car was blown to bits in the explosion.

A Pakistani national is suspected to be the mastermind of the blast.

The Pakistani national has been identified as Rahman, official sources said.

The Jammu and Kashmir government announced Rs 10 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.

Terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba is behind the incident for which logistics were provided by Hizbul Mujahideen, they said.

Meanwhile, tension gripped the city after the blast, which is first car bomb explosion in the state capital this year. Last month, terrorists struck in the heart of capital twice, killing four cops and wounding 35 others.