Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, June 26: Three persons including a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personal were injured in a grenade attack in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today in the afternoon.
Reports said that militants lobbed a grenade at a vehicle of CRPF in Baba Raza-Chanakhan area of Sopore area as it was moving in the area. The incident took place in the afternoon and the trio sustained minor injuries. The injured have been discharged from the local hospital after being given first aid treatment.
Eyewitnesses told Excelsior that at about 12:15 PM, a vehicle of 127 BN of CRPF came under a grenade attack by the militants while it was moving in Baba Raza locality falling in the vicinity of Chanakhan area of apple rich Sopore town.
“The grenade landed near the rear side of the patrolling vehicle and there was a big bang. As there was complete strike in the area, the impact of the grenade was not felt as it should have been. People whosoever were present ran helter-skelter in a bid to save their lives. The situation turned normal after some time,” said the eye-witnesses.
The injured CRPF jawan has been identified as Constable Keshav Ram while as Bashir Ahmad and his wife Sanjeeda, residents of Naseem Bagh-Sopore were also injured. The injured were shifted to the Sub District Hospital (SDH) Sopore for treatment wherefrom they were discharged since the injuries were minor.
Following the incident, the CRPF and police personnel cordoned off Baba Raza and the adjoining areas while carrying out searches there. The searches continued for one hour or so. However, no arrests were made. Police has launched a manhunt to nab the person behind the incident.
Police sources said that the person responsible for the incident has been identified and he would be arrested soon. They said that vital clues have been gathered about today’s grenade attack adding that the person would be nabbed soon.
“There are not many militants in Sopore area and as such it is not difficult to track on the person who carried out the grenade attack. We have got some important clues about the person and we would catch hold of him soon. It would not take long time for us to nab the grenade thrower,” said the police sources.
No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
It would be in place to mention here that Sopore area has been a witness to many grenade attacks and firing incidents in the past resulting into casualties and injuries to scores of persons. Although, most of the militants operating in the area have either been killed or arrested, there are some militants who are still active in the area.
Meanwhile, police recovered a decomposed body from Dal Lake here today.
A police spokesman said that an unidentified decomposed body of a male aged about 30 years was fished out from Dal Lake near a Shikara Ghat at Lam, Nishat. He said the body has been kept in mortuary of SKIMS, Soura for identification. Inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC have been initiated.