Five killed, 43 wounded in seven explosions in Srinagar

Srinagar, Apr 14 (UNI) In coordinated terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 16 years of turmoil, militants triggered a series of grenade explosions at various places across the state's summer capital today in which at least five civilians, including two women, were killed and about 43 others wounded.

A total of seven grenade blasts took place in different parts of the city during the entire day the responsibility for which was separately claimed by four militant outfits -- Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Al Mansoorian and Islamic Front.

Rumours of grenade explosions in various other parts of the city created panic among the people as they made frantic calls to several media organisations besides the Police Control Room.

Confirming the casualties, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Farooq Ahmed told UNI that two civilians, including a woman, were killed in the grenade blast at the busy Hari Singh High Street in Amira Kadal area here.

He said three people, including a woman, were killed in the explosion at the busy Badyari Chowk near Dalgate here.

Mr Ahmed said several people were wounded in the explosions across Srinagar city that occurred on the day of Baisakhi and the Friday following Eid-ul-Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammad.

The dead have been identified as Deepa Joshi of Nepal, Mudassir Parray, Shaheena, Javed Ahmed Bhat (all from Srinagar) and Anoop Singh of Punjab.

While Deepa Joshi and Mudassir Parray were killed in the blast that took place at the Hari Singh High Street, Shaheena, Javed Ahmed Bhat and Anoop Singh died in the attack near Dalgate.

Among the wounded were 31 civilians, including a 12-year-old boy, two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, six Jammu and Kashmir policemen and four Central Reserve Police (CRPF) jawans.

The terror attacks came two days after Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir had started showing significant improvement, leading to increased flow of tourists and pilgrims.

The blasts also came less than 24 hours after a high-level meeting reviewed the security arrangements for the April 24 bypoll in three Assembly constituencies of Pattan, Rafiabad and Sangrama in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, about 50 km from here.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, his predecessor Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, National Conference Chief Patron Farooq Abdullah and party president Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami besides several others condemned the explosions.

MORE UNI BAS-AG AK HS2055