15 pilgrims injured in Kashmir blast

Srinagar, July 21 (UNI) At least 15 pilgrims, including eight sadhus and a local driver, were injured in a hand grenade blast at Pahalgam, the base camp of the holy Amarnath cave this afternoon.

Official sources told UNI that unidentified militants hurled a hand grenade when a group of pilgrims, mostly sadhus, were in the compound of a Gurdwara where a 'langar' was organised near police station Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir.

They said 14 pilgrims, including eight sadhu, and a driver of the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) were injured.

A majority of those injured were discharged after being administered first aid in the Pahalgam hospital.

Six injured were admitted to hospital here.

Police identified some of the injured as Tilak Raj of Roped, Punjab, Kuldeep Singh, of Samba, Jammu, Rajinder Yadoo of Rale-15, Sweetly Pora Shastri Nagar Delhi, Pranab Karmokath, of west Bengal, Wali Nath Pund, of Rishi Keesh Ghat, Opinder, of Delhi, Tirlok, of Thathri, Doda, Gurmeet Singh, of Jammu and Gurmukh Dass, of Haridvida.

The area has been cordoned off and a massive search operation launched to nab militants responsible for the blast.

This was the first attack by militants on Amarnath pilgrims on the traditional Pahalgam route.

The blast occurred after a similar attack at Baltal on Tuesday, in which one local was killed and nineteen others, including a yatri from Uttar Pradesh were injured.

A series of grenade blasts rocked the city yesterday and left about one dozen persons wounded when the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was in session.

UNI