Kulgam blast: Case registered, investigations initiated

Srinagar, Oct 22 : Jammu and Kashmir police has registered a case and initiated investigation into killing of six persons and injuries to several others in a blast which took place immediately after three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed in an encounter by security forces at Laroo in Kulgam district on Sunday, a police spokesperson said on Monday.

Giving details about the incident, police spokesman said in Kulgam, an encounter took place in which three JeM militants were killed. He said that in the aftermath of the encounter when a large congregation entered the encounter site before it was cleared, an explosion took place in which six people died.

According to initial reports, locals have apparently fiddled with some stray explosive materials which lead to an explosion.

However, injured identified as Ubaid Shah, Tajamul, Irshad Ahmad Padder, Uzair Ahmad & Masroor Ahmad unfortunately succumbed when they were brought to hospitals.

Meanwhile, police has appealed to citizens not to visit any encounter site until the it is sanitized by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team. "We seek cooperation of people in this regard for avoiding accidents of such nature," spokesman said.

Advisor to Governor K Vijay Kumar, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh, former Chief Ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti besides CPI(M) leader M Y Targami and others have expressed grief over the demise of civilians in the blast.