Grenade, IED blast in restive Sopore

Srinagar: Suspected militants hurled rifle grenade and triggered Improvised Explosive Device within five minutes in Sopore town that observed shutdown for the second consecutive day Tuesday against the alleged harassment of troops following a gunfight in which two militants were killed earlier this week.  Official sources told that suspected militants tossed a rifle grenade at paramilitary CRPF deployment near Hathi-Shah area in northern Kashmir’s Baramulla district this afternoon. The militants then denoted IED concealed in a trash dump on roadside. The blasts created panic in the area and people preferred to stay indoors. They said that there was minimal movement of pedestrians at the time of blast due to strike.    Senior Superintendent of Police, Altaf Ahmad Khan confirmed the reports and said that there was no damage to life or property due the blasts. Meanwhile, curfew-like situation prevailed in Sopore for the second day against alleged harassment of locals in MuslimPeer locality by government forces during an encounter recently. Correspondent from north Kashmir said that shops, business establishments remained closed while traffic was off the roads in protests against the alleged harassment. In the meantime, an official spokesman said that Police and 18 Grenadiers of the Army jointly recovered four Improvised Explosive Devices in village Pullnard-Dardpora district Kupwara. The IEDs were placed by suspected militants under a culvert. “A major tragedy was averted. These explosive devices were later disposed off by the Bomb disposal squad of the Police on spot, without causing any damages,” the spokesman said.