6 killed, top Muslim cleric among 40 wounded in Kashmir blast

Srinagar, Nov 10 (UNI) At least six people, including three teenaged girls, were killed while a top Muslim cleric was among 40 others wounded, some of them critically, in a grenade attack on a religious congregation near a mosque in south Kashmir's Pulwama district today, official sources said.

However, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said about seven to eight people were killed and more than 35 others wounded in the explosion while police put the figure of the dead at five and the injured at 37 and suspected the involvement of pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen in the attack.

The sources said at least six people were killed and about 40 others wounded, mostly children, when unidentified men hurled a hand grenade at a religious congregation near the Jamia Masjid at Tahab in Pulwama district, about 35 km from here, just before the Friday prayers this afternoon.

The sources said thousands of people had gathered at the congregation. The situation was tense in the area, but under control, they added.

Police said Moulvi Abdul Rashid Dawoodi, a top Muslim cleric of south Kashmir, was among those wounded in the grenade attack.

Police said suspected Hizb militants hurled a grenade towards the Jamia Masjid at Tahab at around 1330 hrs when a large number of people along with Moulvi Dawoodi were entering the mosque to offer the Friday prayers.

The injured were rushed to various hospitals, where the condition of many of them, including Moulvi Dawoodi, was stated to be critical, police added. Some of the wounded have been rushed to Srinagar hospitals in serious condition.

The entire area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers. No militant outfit has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Senior civil and police officials have rushed to the area to take stock of the situation.

Five of the dead have been identified as ten-year-old Bismah Bashir, Saleema Akhter (13), Sheeraza Akhter (17), 13-year-old Umar Maqbool Ganie and Nissar Ahmed Ganie (22), all residents of Tahab.

Condemning the attack, Mr Azad said the time has come when the people should come on the streets to launch a war and raise their voice against militants.

''Such attacks will badly affect the tourist flow to Kashmir and further add to the already growing unemployment problem in the state,'' he added.

The main opposition National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Congress and almost all the separatist, social and religious organisations have condemned the grenade attack in strongest terms.

CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has condemned the attack, saying the people should come out in the open now to denounce such dastardly acts of terror.

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