Militant arrested before he could lob grenade in Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 17 (UNI) Police today averted a major tragedy when they arrested a militant before he could lob hand grenades at a crowded general bus stand at Batmaloo this afternoon.

A police spokesman said police arrested Shabaz Ahmad Mir, a resident of Sogam, Kupwara, alongwith two hand grenades at bus stand.

He said Mir was given the task to throw the grenades at crowded places on the security forces. However, timely arrest of the militant could avert the tragedy.

Commenting on todays attacks on police and CRPF, he said the militants have been instructed to attack on security forces at crwoded places to provoke them to retaliate so that civilians could get killed. This was being done with the intention to exploit the resultant situation into public demonstration against security forces.

He said the government has given strict instrutions to the security forces not to fall in the trap of militants and their across the border mentors and asked to exercise restraint by avoiding retaliatory firing in the event of any attack on them to avoid civlian casualities.

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