Five Amarnath pilgrims from Rajasthan injured in Kashmir blast

Srinagar, June 21 (UNI) At least five Amarnath pilgrims from Rajasthan were injured in a grenade blast at Ganderbal on Srinagar- Baltal yatra route this afternoon, police said.

Police said unidentified militants hurled a hand grenade towards a bus number RJ19P-5367 carrying Amarnath pilgrims from Baltal to Srinagar at 1230 hours.

Five pilgrims, returning after darshan of holy ice 'Shivalingam' at the cave shrine, were injured in the blast, they said, adding the area has been cordoned off and a massive hunt has been launched to nab the militants responsible.

The injured were admitted to hospital, police said. Three injured were identified as Vasu, Mukesh and Mahandroo Soni. All the injured had received minor splinter wounds, hospital sources said.

An eyewitness, who was also travelling in the same bus, told UNI that two buses carrying Amarnath pilgrims were on way to Srinagar from Baltal, when a hand grenade was lobbed from outside inside the bus. The grenade exploded near the entrance, he said.

He said the driver of the bus, without wasting any time, took the injured to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura where doctors and other paramedical staff immediately attended them.

This was the first attack on pilgrims since the yatra started from June 11 on the traditional Pahalgam and Baltal routes.

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