Two killed and 18, including 15 pilgrims injured in J and K

Srinagar, July 21 (UNI) A series of grenade blasts left 18 people, including 15 Amarnath pilgrims injured while two persons were killed in Jammu and Kashmir overnight.

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 near police station Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir.

They said 14 pilgrims, including eight sadhus, 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 a Pahalgam hospital.

Six of the injured were admitted to a 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 of 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 people wounded when the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was in session.

Two grenade blasts in a parking place at Tanbagh on Boulvard and Dalgate left three persons wounded. The injured were hospitalised.

Another blast took place at Batmaloo without causing any damage.

Militants killed one Nasir Din in his house at Jamola in Rajouri while one body was recovered at Kulgam in south Kashmir today.

UNI