The Hindu : Front Page : 4 killed, 45 hurt in Srinagar car bomb blast

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Thursday, Nov 17, 2005

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4 killed, 45 hurt in Srinagar car bomb blast

Shujaat Bukhari

In the impact, buildings rattled within a radius of two km

TERROR UNABATED: A man injured in the car bomb attack in Srinagar on Wednesday being moved from the site. Four persons were killed in the blast. — Photo: Nissar Ahmad

SRINAGAR: For the third consecutive day militants struck in Kashmir on Wednesday, setting off a car bomb here which killed at least four persons and injured 45 others, including a former Minister. The condition of at least 14 of them is stated to be critical.

The civil lines area shook in the explosion, which occurred outside the Jammu and Kashmir Bank head office at 10.15 a.m. The police said the explosives-laden car was parked outside the gate, which is close to one of the busiest crossings in the city. H.K. Lohia, Deputy Inspector-General, Kashmir range, told The Hindu that it was probably detonated with a remote-controlled device.

As the official car of the former Minister of State and MLA, Usman Majid's was directly hit, "they [militants] might have seen this VIP vehicle and hit the target. But I do not think it was aimed at him," Mr. Lohia said. Mr. Majid is a former counter-insurgent and close associate of counter-insurgent-turned-politician Kukka Parray, who was gunned down in 2003.

Mr. Majid had a narrow escape but received bruises in the face and his security guards were also injured. His car was completely damaged. "He is safe and out of danger," Mushtaq Ahmed, his personal assistant told The Hindu . He said Mr. Majid was a target of militants.

Witnesses said at least two persons including the bank guard died instantly and scores were left in a pool of blood. "It was a big explosion and it looked like doomsday dawning on us," said Shaista, a bank official.

"I saw people lying on the road and crying for help, but there was chaos as news spread that a fidayeen (suicide squad member) had entered the bank office which was not true," said Merajuddin, a bus conductor.

Buildings rattled within a two-km radius and Moulana Azad Road was littered with damaged vehicles, mangled steel with bloodstain and footwear.

Al Arifeen, a little known militant outfit owned responsibility for the attack. Its spokesman Majid Iqbal told a local news agency KNS that it had planned to carry out explosion somewhere else but "when the police stopped the target the militants had no option but to explode it."

The Hizbul Mujahideen condemned the blast and said "we are not for such activities.''

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