Fayaz Bukhari
![A girl injured in grenade blast at Shopian on Saturday. Another pic on page 6.— Excelsior / Younis Khaliq](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/page1-29-300x169.jpg)
Srinagar, May 9: Fifteen persons were injured when militants hurled a grenade at a market place in South Kashmir’s Shopian town this afternoon.
Superintendent of Police (SP), Shopian, Altaf Ahmad Khan, said that 15 persons were injured when militants lobbed a grenade near Batpora Chowk in Shopian town at around 2.40 pm. He said that injured includes a 9-year-old girl who is in 3rd standard. He said that all the injured are out of danger.
“The target was our police party and they fled after carrying out the attack and we are searching them”, he added. He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the attack was carried out by the militants of Hizbul Mujahideen.
The attack took place at around 2.40 pm, when militants lobbed a grenade in Batpora Chowk on a police party injuring 15 persons including woman and a minor girl. The blast created panic in the area and people ran for safety. The injured were rushed to District Hospital Shopian for treatment.
Police identified the injured as Asha wife of Mohammad Shafi resident of Harpora, Zahid Ahmad Mir son of Mohammad Shafi resident of Rawalpora, Shakeel Ahamd Khan son of Mohammd Shafi resident of Karewa Manloo, Aamir Hussain Malik on of Farooq Ahmad resident of Largam, Mohammad Lateef Dar son of Wali Mohammad resident of Batpora, Sameer Ahmad son of Mohammad Amin resident of Pinkoora, Rayees Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Batpora, Gulzar Ahmad Kumar son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Pargochi, Saleema Begum wife of Ghulam Mohammad Mir resident of Maldera, Mohammd Amjad son of Mohammad Yaqoob resident of Bihar, Sayima daughter of Mohammad Shafi Najar resident of Alai Kocha, Saleema wife of Mohammad Shafi Najar resident of Alai Kocha, Shakeel Ahmad Dar son of Mohammad Abdullah resident of Lajoora Pulwama, Rayees Ahamed Hajam son of Ghulam Qadir resident of Ladhu, Pampore, Shabtoza Iqbal son of Mohammad Iqbal resident of Batpora and Rutba Jan daughter of Shakeel Ahmad Kahan resident of Karwa Mantoo.
Shopian Police have registered a case (FIR number 70/2015 under Section 3/4 Explosive Substance Act) and are investigating the incident.
Police, Army and paramilitary troops immediately cordoned off whole area and conducted searches to trace the attackers.
In the meantime, Bandipora Police along with Army recovered large quantity of arms and ammunition last from a hideout in a Nullah in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
A police spokesman said that on a tip off, Bandipora police and Army launched a search operation in Bhoothu Nullah, Bandipora. “During the search the joint team busted a hideout and recovered large quantity of arms and ammunition from it.
The recoveries includes one RPG booster, three RPG rockets, four cylinder plastic jars containing explosive material and 234 AK rounds.
A case (FIR number 68/2015 under Section 7/25 IA Act) was registered in Police Station Bandipora and investigation has been taken up.