Tral: Two dead in grenade attack, narrow escape for Naeem
TNN Bureau. Updated: 9/22/2017 1:22:11 AM
Front Page
34 including 9 security personnel injured; Hizb condemns attack
SRINAGAR: Barely days after Mehbooba-led state government initiated its public outreach programs in restive south Kashmir, it was a narrow escape on Thursday for the Minister for Public Works, Naeem Akhtar when a grenade was lobbed towards his motorcade, killing two civilians while leaving 34 others, including seven CRPF personnel and two policemen, injured in Tral area of Pulwama district.
The grenade blast took place at Bus Stand Tral around 11:45 am on Thursday when Akhtar's cavalcade was moving towards Satoora area where he had to review development work on roads.
While the minister escaped unhurt in the attack, the explosion killed two civilians.
The deceased have been identified as Pinky Kour, daughter of Ichpal Singh of Chattrogam and Ghulam Nabi Trag son of Ghulam Ahmad Trag of Tral-e-Payeen. Kour, 24, was an MA student at Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora, while Trag was a retired teacher.
The driver of PWD's Senior Engineer of Awantipora was critically injured and he was shifted to Srinagar hospital.
As many as 34 people sustained injuries as well, including seven CRPF men and two policemen, the police said.
"All the civilians were shifted to sub-district hospital Tral from where 16 civilians and 02 CRPF men were discharged while rest of them were shifted to Srinagar hospital," police said.
Meanwhile locals staged a protest outside the Sub-district Hospital Tral to demonstrate against the forces for 'opening fire and resorting to pellet firing on civilians after the attack.
While raising slogans against the police and CRPF, the protesters alleged that the forces opened fire on civilians after the grenade attack at Tral bus stand. However, police have denied the use of force after the blast.
In a statement terming the use of pellets as reported in by some social media as totally baseless, SP Awantipora Zahid Malik said that no pellet was fired, however some shots were fired in air to prevent any further attack. He said that the forces showed maximum restrain during the incident.
Before the attack, the minister had inaugurated a bridge in Dadsara area which connects Dadsara with Tral through its interiors.
Officials said that Akhtar was travelling towards Satoora where he was to lay foundation stone of expansion and construction of Tral-Satoora road.
Significantly, the attack took place on a day BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said here that the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Centre are open to having an unconditional dialogue with all stakeholders, including separatists, to address the problems of Kashmir.
Condemning the killings of civilians due to blast, Akhtar gave the firsthand account of the attack, saying it is really unfortunate that grenade was lobbed at his cavalcade when it reached Tral bazaar.
"Tragic loss of innocent lives in this gory incident will always pain and haunt me," he said.
He said the perpetrators must eschew the path of violence because till date they have accomplished nothing out of bloodshed except adding to the miseries and sufferings of the people.
"I wonder why they chose this day (1st Muharram) to repeat Karbala," he said, while praying for the speedy recovery of driver of the department who was also injured in the incident.
"I am unhurt myself but I am very sad because this claimed two lives...I feel very sad for them," Akhtar said.
"Those who carried out the attack cannot be friends of Kashmir or that of Islam," he added.
Akhtar said the attack was an attempt to "subvert our outreach programme and our programme to take governance to the people".
He said the security forces exercised a "lot of restraint" while dealing with the aftermath of the explosion.
"I am profoundly shocked that they chose to target us when we were trying to speed up development of Tral constituency," Akhtar said.
"We have to introspect. The security forces respond to situations as lives of so many people are at stake in case of an attack. I do not think anyone died due to bullet injury. I think forces showed a lot of restraint," he added.
The minister said the perpetrators must eschew the path of violence as they have accomplished nothing till date out of bloodshed, except adding to the miseries and sufferings of the people.
Meanwhile terror outfit Hizbul Mujahidin chief Syed Salahuddin has condemned the grenade attack in south Kashmir's Tral area.
In a statement to a local news agency in Kashmir, Hizbul spokesman Saleem Hashmi quoting Salahuddin said the attack is a handiwork of agencies and Hizb condemns such attacks.
He said such attacks are being carried out only to deviate the attention of World community from Kashmir issue.