When looks nearly proved fatal!

Srinagar, July 11: Their looks almost proved fatal for them. A Non-Resident Indian (NRI) family from Kashmir was attacked by suspected militants with a grenade after the members were mistaken as foreign tourists.

Four women members of the family were wounded in the explosion that was the fourth in a series of five grenade attacks on tourists during the day in which eight visitors were killed and more than 40 wounded.

The family, settled in San Francisco city of the United States, had arrived in Kashmir some weeks ago to meet their relatives here.

They were staying at uptown Sanat Nagar area here.

The women members of the NRI family this morning decided to shop at Lal Chowk, the business centre of Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital.

But, the shopping nearly resulted in their death.

Eyewitnesses said as the women members of the family were getting into their car after shopping, the suspected militants hurled a hand grenade towards them.

They said the suspected militants apparently mistook them as foreign tourists due to their looks.

The eyewitnesses said the grenade hit the head of Shazia and fell on the road resulting in a huge explosion.

As luck would have it, Shazia escaped unhurt in the blast.

However, other members -- Ayman, Hanna, Sabia and Nazia -- were wounded in the explosion.

The nearby shopkeepers immediately swung into action and rushed the NRI family to the Sri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital where condition of Ayman was stated to be critical.

The wounded were in a state of shock and unable to speak.

UNI