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Kashmir: Bid to Blow Up Army Vehicle, 23 Injured

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Aug 3: Militants today made a bid to blow up an Indian army vehicle at Banihal in restive Kashmir by lobbing a grenade at it. 23 persons including two police officers were injured in the powerful blast.

Militants lobbed a hand grenade towards a moving Indian army vehicle at Banihal in Kashmir at around 1705 hours. The grenade, however, missed the intended target and exploded on the road with a big bang. At least 23 persons were injured in the blast and the injured were immediately removed to different hospitals for treatment. Among the injured are two police officers, who have been identified as Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Man Lal and ASI Bushan Das.

Doctors attending the injured termed the condition of four of them as "life threatening".

The blast caused panic in the area with people running helter skelter.

Immediately after the blast, additional soldiers were rushed to the spot and they launched a massive combing and search operation to track down the militants responsible for the attack. No arrests have been reported.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.