Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India]: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the grenade attack at the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) and weekly market in Srinagar on Sunday, saying there can be “no justification for targeting innocent civilians.”
“The last few days have been dominated by headlines of attacks & 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,” the CM said in a post on X.
CM Abdullah further said that the security apparatus must do everything possible to end this spurt of attacks.
“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.
Earlier in the day, terrorists attacked the TRC and shoppers at the weekly market in Srinagar by hurling a grenade, injuring several people.
Security forces immediately reached the scene, and the injured were shifted to the hospital.
Following the incident, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, also reached the Govt SHMS Hospital, where those injured in the attack were admitted.
“This kind of thing never happened here before. I don’t know what’s going on these past few days… Even during the peak of militancy, nothing like this ever happened,” a local resident said.
The grenade attack comes a day after a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander was killed in an encounter in the Khanyar area of Srinagar.
On Saturday, IGP Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi told that the LeT commander, identified as Usman, was a foreign terrorist involved in the murder of Inspector Masroor.
Four security personnel were injured in the encounter.
In a separate incident, two terrorists were killed by security forces during an encounter in Anantnag district on Saturday.
Congress leader Ravindra Sharma said called the attack incidents “a conspiracy to disturb the atmosphere in the valley.”
“This is a conspiracy to disturb the atmosphere here. Such incidents have increased ever since elections have been held and the new government has been formed. Sunday market is mostly crowded. I will pray for the well-being of those injured in the attack. This proves that militancy is still there in the valley. Central government has the entire law and order and security apparatus in its hand. We call for strict action,” said Sharma.