SRINAGAR — Terrorists lobbed a grenade at a CRPF bunker near a crowded flea market in the heart of the city here on Sunday, injuring at least 11 civilians, officials said.
The attack, which took place near a heavily guarded complex housing All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra near the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC), comes a day after security forces eliminated a top Pakistani commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the Khanyar locality of downtown Srinagar.
A senior police officer said the terrorists hurled the grenade at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bunker near the TRC. "However, the grenade missed the intended target and landed on the roadside, injuring 11 people," the officer said.
The blast took place close to the weekly flea market, popularly known as the Sunday market, which is thronged by thousands. The explosion caused panic in the area and sent shoppers scrambling for cover.
The officer said the attack was borne out of the desperation of terrorists following Saturday's killing of the LeT commander.
VIDEO | J-K grenade attack: Forensic team arrives at site of grenade attack in Srinagar for inspection. #JammuKashmir(Full video available on PTI Videos - )
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Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack.
"The last few days have been dominated by headlines of attacks and encounters in parts of the Valley. Today's news of a grenade attack on innocent shoppers at the Sunday market in Srinagar is deeply disturbing. There can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians," Abdullah said in a post on X.
"The security apparatus must do everything possible to end this spurt of attacks at the earliest so that people can go about their lives without any fear," he added.
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress called for measures to curb such attacks.
"It is deeply disturbing to learn about the unfortunate and ghastly incident of a grenade attack on shopkeepers," Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra said in a statement.
"Jammu and Kashmir Police must take effective measures to contain such brutal and inhuman attacks so that the public can move freely and without any fear," he said.