KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
After the two grenade explosions in two cell phone offices in the commercial hub of Karan Nagar, cops are out of the barracks. They have started surprise checks at various uptown localities and two-wheelers are specially being stopped and enquired about.
Though cops have positioned themselves at key entry and exit routes of Karan Nagar from all sides, there is not any lead available so far. Cops at the spot are interacting with the staff of the two business establishments to get the basic details about the number of persons who got them out of their shops. They would also try to get some distinct remarks that could help police lay hands of the attackers.
A group of young men, witnesses said, approached an Aircell showroom and asked them to move out as quickly as possible. Fractions after the last staffer moved out, they lobbed a grenade and left without saying anything. Hardly five minutes after, another similar bang was heard in a Vodafone outlet located on Doodganga. The two outlets are less than half a kilometer away.
With the cell phone operators being attacked again – this time in Srinagar, the mobile services are back in news. Militants had carried out a series of attacks on the cell phone base tower stations in Sopore that led to the service paralyzing for many days. One attack was carried out in Srinagar in Gadoudbagh area of Habakadal. Given the impact these attacks had on the business and the users, situation started improving after various separatist leaders chipped in.
But the Friday attacks have seemingly revived the Sopore situation. It incidentally came a day after Hizb ul Mujahideen stated it has suspended from basic membership one of its breakaway leaders from Sopore. The outfit had accused him of being involved in the BTS attacks in which a number of civilians lost their lives.
Police said matter is being investigated. “We are making investigations to see what kind of explosive was used,” the police spokesman said. “There was some loss to the property but thank God, there were no casualties.”
Police, in the meanwhile, have started some sort of street dominance by controlling the key entry and exit points in the uptown. Suspected youth are being stopped and left after body frisking. There has not been any arrest, so far. No militant outfit has staked any claim.
