Tragedy averted; grenade attack in Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 24: Security forces averted a major tragedy when they detected and later defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in a hotel, where a fierce gun-battle had taken place recently, at Apple-rich Sopore town in Baramulla district of north Kashmir today.

A police spokesman said the IED was detected in the New Lite Hotel complex, where militants had taken refuge and were engaged in a fierce three-day-long gun-battle with security forces from November 9 to 11.

Two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants and a Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in the gunfight.

A bomb disposal squad later defused the IED, he said, adding there were no reports of loss of life or injury in the incident.

Meanwhile, suspected militants hurled a hand grenade towards the house of one Abdul Rashid Tantray at Tujar Sharief in Sopore.

The grenade exploded in the compound of the house, resulting in damage to the outer walls of the structure, the spokesman said.

However, no casualty was reported in the incident.

UNI