Devices resemble to IED used at Udhampur on Mar 9
TRF on radar of investigators
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 27: A major plot has unfolded in last night’s twin terror strikes in Koteranka near Kandi Police Station and Sub Divisional Headquarters as time devices had been used in both of them to keep 20 minutes difference between the explosions with a view to target police teams and crowd which reached the spot but they had narrow escape.
“The explosive devices resembled to an IED used at Slathia Chowk blast in Udhampur on March 9 in which one civilian was killed and 16 others were injured,” investigators told the Excelsior.
They said the blasts were triggered with time devices and not remote controls. The first explosion occurred at 8.15 pm and the second at 8.35 pm. The difference of 20 minutes had been fixed in second device with a view to target police party and crowd which gathered at the spot after first explosion.
However, the militants’ plot failed as police personnel from Kandi Police station who reached the spot were investigating from a distance and had very narrow escape in the second explosion. The crowd was not present at the site as majority of shops had closed by then. Markets in rural areas generally close between 7.30 pm to 8 pm.
Investigators confirmed that both explosive devices used in Koteranka blasts resembled to IED blast triggered by the militants in a vegetable box at a rehri at Slathia Chowk in Udhampur town on March 9 in which one civilian was killed and 16 others were wounded.
All three explosive devices—two used at Koteranka and one at Udhampur—had no splinters but sound caused by them was deafening, sources said, adding that nature of all three devices is being ascertained.
Police believed that the devices had been locally fabricated.
Investigating agencies were of the view that a particular militant outfit was responsible for the terror attacks at Koteranka and Udhampur.
The Resistance Front (TRF) was on radar of the investigating agencies along with a couple of other outfits.
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) teams today also visited the site of blasts at Koteranka to join probe along with police.
The NIA and SIA teams had also visited Udhampur blast site.
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