Day before President's visit, blasts injure 40 in Kashmir

Srinagar, July 27 (UNI) A day before President APJ Abdul Kalam's visit to the Kashmir valley, militants struck at three different places and hurled hand grenades, injuring 40 people, including 5 security personnel, today.

Official sources told UNI tonight that militants hurled hand grenade at Khudwani, Kulam in south Kashmir this evening.

Sources said 18 people, including two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and a state police constable, were injured in the blast, The injured were admitted to different hospitals where the condition of some of them is state to be critical.

They said militants threw a hand grenade towards a patrol party at Woyen, about 15 km from here this afternoon. It exploded on the roadside injuring two soldiers and as many women. The injured were hospitalised.

They said militants hurled a hand grenade towards security forces near a water tank at Bug, Sopore at 1030 hrs.

However, it missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside, injuring 18 people, including three women. The injured were admitted to hospitals at Sopore. Six of the seriously injured were admitted to a hospital in Srinagar.

UNI BAS RP ND2252