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Militants strike at high security area again

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Militants struck yet again in the high security area of Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital this morning when they made an attempt to blow up the headquarters of the ruling National Conference, adjacent to the building housing Radio Kashmir and the local Doordarshan station. A powerful scooter bomb which exploded near the entrance of the NC party headquarters resulted in serious injuries to four persons including two policemen and a block president of the ruling party headed by Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah.

The Minister of State for Home Mushtaq Ahmad Lone who was to visit the office had a miraculous escape as he arrived minutes after the blast. The injured were shifted to the Srinagar's SMHS hospital, where according to the doctors the condition of Mohammad Anwar was critical.

Several vehicles parked nearby were damaged. The window panes of the NC headquarters and adjoining shops were smashed. Senior police and civil officials, including the inspector general of Kashmir range, Gopal Sharma rushed to the spot. This was the third attack by the militants in the high security area in the recent past.

Last month they attacked the heavily guarded civil secretariat building with rifle grenades. A group of Lashkar-e-Toiba militants early this month stormed the fortified Badami Bagh cantonment, the headquarters of 15 Corps killing the defence PRO and his staff. A gun battle that followed resulted in the killing of one top militant of Lashkar identified as Abu Talha.

Security has been further beefed up around the cantonment area and all passing vehicles and passersby are thoroughly checked. Inside the cantonment new bunkers have been erected. Paramilitary troops and the police cordoned off the area around the NC party headquarters and searches are on.

A police officer said an unidentified youth parked the explosive-laden scooter near the entrance and fled. Minutes later the bomb exploded. The casualty figure, the police officer said, could have been higher. Luckily there was not much rush in the area in view of the holiday today. "We have deployed sufficient security in the area and we will further beef it up," the officer said.

Late this afternoon militants attacked a security patrol with a hand grenade which however missed the intended target and exploded on the road resulting in injuries to a passerby. Yesterday, militants bombed the house of the editor of a local daily Afaaq . However, the family of Ghulam Jeelani Qadri escaped unhurt.

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