BSF cop, civilian killed in Baramulla blast

12 civilians wounded in another grenade attack at Batmaloo

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 25: Striking after a long pause of calm, simultaneously in Baramulla and Srinagar with grenade attacks, suspected militants today left two persons dead and 15 more wounded.

Authoritative sources in north Kashmir told Early Times that unidentified persons, widely believed to be militants, lobbed a hand grenade on the men of a BSF party who were busy in shopping at a market near SRTC Bridge in Baramulla town at 1230 hours today. The grenade went off with a deafening explosion, causing injuries to two BSF personnel and three civilians. While the injured were evacuated to hospital amid panic and stampede, a critically wounded salesman breathed his last at District Hospital of Baramulla. He was identified as 24-year-old Abdul Gani Gojri S/o Sonaullah Gojri R/o Lar Ganapora, Kralgund (Handwara).

Later, a BSF havildar, namely U Haldar of 9^th Bn, also succumbed to injuries on way to 92 Base Hospital of Army in Srinagar. Sources said that the injured civilians, as well as Constable Narendar Singh of BSF, were under treatment at Baramulla and Srinagar hospitals respectively.

Reports from Baramulla said that a group of youngsters began shouting pro-Azadi, anti-Police and anti-forces slogans while carrying the dead body of the slain salesman through streets at the district headquarters. Police and security forces avoided to clash with the demonstrators. Body of the young salesman, who was married and reportedly father of a 5-year-old girl, was later carried to Langet. Reports said that large number of villagers participated in the funeral.

SP Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal, told Early Times that one BSF personnel died and four of his colleagues had a narrow escape. According to reports available with Police, the BSF party from Singhpora-based 9^th Bn, had visited a shopkeeper in the narrow Badmaz Gully for the last three days. They had ordered the grocery owner to grind a quantity of spices which they wanted to carry to their post on the LoC. As two BSF men were collecting the spices from the grocery, an unidentified militant lobbed a hand grenade from a distance of less than six yards. It hit the target, killing a havildar and the salesman and causing injuries to two more civilians and a Constable.

SP Baramulla said that some 150 people took out a procession to create false impression that the civilian had died because of a blast from a BSF soldier’s grenade. Demonstrators called for arrest and punishment to the soldiers. However, they dispersed calmly when it became clear that a BSF havildar had also died and the grenade had been lobbed by a militant.

SP said that on their return from the funeral in Handwara, some residents of Baramulla came down from their vehicles at Watirgam and forced a shutdown. However, residents and shopkeepers struck with a counter-attack and left five persons injured. One Mudassar Ahmed, who was hit in his head with a lathi, sustained critical injuries. He was rushed to SKIMS for treatment.

Here in the capital city, suspected militants lobbed a hand grenade towards a Police vehicle that was parked outside Police Station near General Bus Stand of Batmaloo, in the afternoon. It fell short of the target and exploded at a crowded marketplace. As many as 12 persons, all civilians, sustained multiple splinter injuries. Officials said that all the injured were stable.

IGP Kashmir, S M Sahai, said that this kind of attacks were expected from militants who were on the run but were making desperate attacks to unite and spread some fear among the people and forces. He said that the militants responsible for the twin attack would be tracked and brought to justice.

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