Terror strikes Jammu: 3 cops among 5 injured in Bus Stand grenade blast

Alert sounded, search Ops on for 3 suspects; blast in Valley too

JAMMU: In a dastardly attack, terror knocked the doors of Jammu City for the second time this year, when terrorists-believed to be three in number-lobbed a grenade at a police vehicle in the bustling General Bus Stand area on BC road late Thursday night, injuring 5 persons including three cops.
Photographs of three suspects have been accessed by Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) and circulated to all stations, even as a massive manhunt has been launched to nab the terrorists. An alert has been sounded, and all the check-points on the national highway have been tightened to avoid any pilferage.

The attack which came ahead of Amarnath Yatra, and after 9 days of continuous border terror in the region, took place around 10:35 pm, around 20 minutes after a similar attack took place at a CRPF camp in Srinagar in which no one was injured.

The grenade was thrown at the official vehicle of Station House Officer Bus Stand Rajesh Jasrotia parked near Petrol Pump at General Bus Stand. The grenade, however, missed the target and exploded near the vehicle, injuring 5 persons, of which three were cops including SHO himself.
Two of them-SHO Jasrotia and a civilian- received minor injuries, whereas three persons- SPO (Driver)Arjun son of Dheroo Lal of Shama Chak, Jammu, Selection Grade Constable Shah Israr son of Aman Ullah of Surankote Poonch and Jagdev Raj son of Prem Chand of Lakhri, Billawar were rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment.

Police sources informed that the grenade’s splinters hit the police gypsy and an Innova Taxi bearing registration number JK01P/9471 standing just behind the police gypsy. The driver of the Taxi namely Abdul Latif of Srinangar was having supper when the incident took place.

Following the incident, the alert was sounded in Jammu and the entire area was cordoned off. The senior police officers including IGP Jammu S D Singh Jamwal and SSP Jammu Vivek Gupta ,besides, SOG cops also reached on the spot.

“There was a grenade attack in the bus stand area tonight (by suspected terrorists). The grenade was thrown at a police vehicle,” Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police Vivek Gupta said, adding the said grenade exploded in air after it was lobbed, which reduced its intensity and no casualty took place.

The area has been cordoned off and searches launched to track down the suspected terrorists, the SSP said.

Talking to reporters at spot, IGP Jamwal said, “Preliminary investigations revealed that grenade was lobbed on the police party. Investigations into it have been launched to ascertain the actual cause of the blast.”

According to eyewitnesses, they were waiting for their bus to leave for New Delhi when a sudden blast took place and they ran for cover. The police vehicle was probably the target but the grenade missed it and exploded near the vehicle, the witnesses said.

Latest reports coming from the police revealed that CCTV cameras of the neighbouring establishments are being ascertained at Police Control Room, Jammu for more details, even as Police has circulated the photographs of three suspects, accessed by the SOG.

The incident has taken place days after combing operation was launched in Hiranagar sector in district Kathua after locals of the area spotted some suspected persons with arms in their hands.
Meanwhile some locals and traders at Bus Stand staged a protest soon after the grenade attack raising anti-Pakistan slogans.

Meanwhile in Srinagar, terrorists tonight hurled a grenade towards the CRPF camp but there was no loss of life in the incident, police said.

Around 10:15 pm, terrorists lobbed a grenade on the CRPF camp at Brari Pora in Nawakadal area of the city, a police official said.

He said there was no loss of life due to the explosion. Further details were awaited, the official said.