Immediately after the grenade attack, which occurred near the Tourist Reception Centre on Residency Road, state police and security forces swung into action, checking passers-by and vehicles.
The flea market attracts thousands of people from across the districts of Kashmir Valley.
“Today at about 1410 hours, terrorists lobbed a hand grenade at a security force deployment near crowded Sunday market of Srinagar… The grenade exploded within the crowd, injuring 12 civilians, including a woman, who sustained serious injuries,” read the official statement.
J&K Police has registered a case under section 16 of UAPA, sections 109, 115(2) of BNS and Explosives Substances Act at Kothibagh police station.
The blast comes a day after three militants, including a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, were killed in two separate encounters in the Kashmir Valley. The LeT commander, Usman, was killed in Khanyar locality of Srinagar.Political parties across the spectrum condemned the attack, while state officials visited the SMHS hospital to check on the injured. The Srinagar administration has given cheques of ₹25,000 to each of the injured.
Over the past few weeks, Kashmir Valley has seen a string of encounters and attacks, including violence against some non-local workers. The state’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, has said the security system must ensure safety for all. The lieutenant governor, Manoj Sinha, spoke to the director general of J&K Police and senior officials of the security agencies on the grenade attack in Srinagar.
