Jammu and Kashmir: Two grenade attacks in Srinagar and Shopian within 24 hours of Zero Bridge strike; JeM claims responsibility

Within 24 hours of a grenade attack near Zero Bridge in Srinagar which injured three traffic police personnel on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir saw two more grenade attacks within hours of each other, one at Lal Chowk in the heart of its summer capital and the other at a police camp at Gagran in South Kashmir’s Shopian, on Friday. Militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for all three attacks. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are due in the next few months. While no one was reported to have been injured in the latest attacks which took place in the afternoon, the Lal Chowk strike saw  damaged vehicles and shops. The intended target of the Lal Chowk attack, reported News18, was a CRPF bunker that was in the area. In Shopian, the possible target was the Special Operations Group which has a camp in the area.

Jammu and Kashmir: Blast at Ghanta Ghar Chowk in Srinagar. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/fG6a1TRmMT

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2019

The Lal Chowk area, which is otherwise hustling and bustling, was less crowded on Friday as the attack had coincided with prayer timings, reported India Today. The attack on Thursday had taken place close to the National Conference party headquarters. JeM had  claimed responsibility for it and in a statement to Srinagar-based news agencies claimed that two security personnel were killed and six critically injured, reported Kashmiri news outlet Harmukh News. News 18 reported that JeM have claimed to have carried out these attacks to avenge the outfit’s chief Azhar Mahmood’s two nephews, Masood and Mehmood, who were killed by security forces in July, 2018. However, the three injured are stated to be stable. In the same statement, Jaish members also reportedly warned of more attacks in the run-up to Republic Day on 26 January, leading security forces to believe that they may be behind the Friday attacks as well, reported India Today.