A grenade attack on Friday created panic in the heart of the city, Lal Chowk, an area of Srinagar district near the historic Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower).
As per reports, the grenade was lobbed on an armed vehicle of Central Reserve Police Force 132 battalion.
Speaking to NewsClick, police officials said that a grenade landed under a private vehicle Alto 800 under bearing number JK01AH 0279. The blast damaged the vehicle and three shops in the area. There were no reports of any casualties so far. Shops were damaged due to splinters moved spot.
Meanwhile, police detained a civilian who was streaming live from his Facebook account. As per reports, police thrashed him and snatched his mobile phone as well. His identity is yet to be ascertained.
Within no time, another grenade attack was reported in Gagran an area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Special Officer Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police’s camp. No loss of lives or injury was reported.
This was the third grenade attack within 20 hours in Kashmir. On Thursday, a grenade was lobbed on a police naka at Zero Bridge in which three police officials were injured.
Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility of the grenade attack on the forces’ party at Raj Bagh area of Srinagar.
An FIR has been filed on all three attacks and police is working to nab the culprits.
Police officials told NewsClick said that militants were carrying such attacks to defer the election process in Kashmir and also create panic among public ahead of the Republic day.
Since the 1990s, such attacks have been reported in and around Kashmir ahead of the Republic and Independence Day.
