Twin grenade blasts, attack on non-local in Kashmir: Incidents of violence coincide with Amit Shah's visit

A CRPF personnel was injured on Saturday evening after militants lobbed grenades at paramilitary forces at Shopian and Tral areas of south Kashmir, police said.

Srinagar: Coinciding with Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, the valley witnessed twin blasts and a militant attack on a non-local person in a span of few hours on Saturday evening.

In the first incident, a CRPF personnel was injured after militants lobbed a grenade at paramilitary forces in Shopian district of south Kashmir, police said. "At about 8:10 pm, terrorists hurled a grenade upon the camp of 178 Battalion of the CRPF at Babapora in Zainapora area of the south Kashmir's Shopian district," a police official said. He said one CRPF personnel was injured in the grenade explosion. In a similar incident, militants tossed a grenade at a CRPF Camp in the Tral area of southern Pulwama district. Cases have been registered in the matter and further investigations are underway, police said.

In another incident, unknown gunmen shot at and injured a non-local in the Arihal area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. "A non-local identified as Mohammad Akram of Uttar Pradesh was shot at and injured by terrorists, in the Arihal area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Further details awaited," a police official said, adding the injured was shifted to hospital.

Kashmir was rocked by a spate of killings last year in October when terrorists shot dead three people, including a non-local vendor in a span of a few hours. Those killed also included famous Kashmiri Pandit chemist Makhan Lal Bindroo, who was shot near the Iqbal Park area.

Home Minister Shah, who is on a two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir, reviewed the security situation in Jammu with Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and senior officers of the central government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration. During the meeting, Shah laid emphasis on proactive operations against terrorists and choking their logistical and financial support systems.

Shah said the security grid should be further strengthened to ensure zero cross-border infiltration and to eliminate terrorism completely in order to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a peaceful and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir. He appreciated the improvement in the security situation, reduction in terror incidents from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021 and decrease in the number of slain security forces personnel from 91 in 2018 to 42 in 2021.

(With agency inputs)