Blast in Budgam, Sgr security upped

SRINAGAR: A low-intensity blast occurred in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district; however, there were immediate reports of any loss.
The Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday evening said that militants carried out a low intensity explosion at Wathoora-Dooniwara road near Sheikhpora in District Budgam.
“The low intensity explosion was carried out by the militants in an abandoned vehicle. No loss of life or injury was reported in this incident,” a Police spokesman in a statement said.
“Officers from the local Police Station attended the crime spot. Area has been cordoned and search in the area is in progress,” he added.
“Police has registered a case in this regard and officers continue to work to establish the circumstances of this crime,” said police spokesman in a statement.
Meanwhile, security was beefed up in several areas of Srinagar - the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir - on Sunday following a grenade attack by suspected militants in a city market that left seven people injured, even as normal life remained hit in Valley for the 70th consecutive day on Sunday since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution as the main markets continued to be shut and public transport stayed off the roads, while the weekly flea market here was open,.
The deployment of more security personnel was done in the wake of a grenade attack in Hari Singh High Street market a few hundred metres from the city centre - on Saturday in which seven people were injured, a police official said.
“More security personnel, along with the flying squad, were deployed in Lal Chowk, Jehangir Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Regal Chowk, TRC Chowk, Polo View and the areas around the city centre,” he said.
He said random checking of vehicles and frisking of people was being done as part of the security drill.
He said the authorities wanted to give a sense of security to the people and the vendors who had set up stalls for the weekly flea market on Sunday.
While the flea market usually remains open only on Sundays, several vendors have continued with putting their stalls along the TRC Chowk-Polo View-Lal Chowk road on daily basis for the last few weeks.
State government spokesperson Rohit Kansal, in a presser on Sunday, urged the businessmen, industrialists, traders, transporters, shopkeepers, hoteliers and contractors "not to be frightened by any threats by terrorists and separatists" and go about their normal activities.
Kasnal said it was well established that there have been sustained attempts from across the border both in the past and more so in the last two months to promote militancy and terrorism in the state to create a sense of fear and terror among the people and keep the place in a disturbed condition.
He said militant organisations continue to make attempts to terrorise the people to prevent traders, businessmen, transporters from doing their normal business.
However, he said, the government is firm in its resolve that the attempts to disturb peace would be foiled.
The Kashmir valley has been witnessing continuous shutdown since August 5 when the Centre revoked the state's special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.
On Sunday as well, main markets and business establishments remained shut across the valley, even as a few shops were open here in the city till 10:30 am, officials said.
Auto-rickshaws and a few inter-district cabs were seen plying here, but other modes of public transport were off the roads, the officials said, adding that the movement of private cars was less as compared to Saturday.
Mobile services remained suspended in Kashmir except in the Handwara and Kupwara areas in the north since the night of August 4. Internet services across all platforms also continued to be snapped in the valley, the officials said.
State government spokesperson Rohit Kansal told a press conference on Saturday that post-paid mobile phone services across all networks would be restored in Kashmir on Monday noon. He also said about 99 per cent areas in Jammu and Kashmir were free from restrictions on the movement of people.

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