Grenade attack on Kathua temple misses target, blast triggers panic

Terrorists lobbed a grenade on a temple in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday evening but it missed the target and exploded nearby, creating panic among the people there, a senior police officer said.

The attack comes within days of police arresting four militant associates and scuttling their separate plans to trigger grenade explosions in Poonch and Jammu districts at the behest of their handlers in Pakistan with the intention to disturb peace in Jammu region and harm communal brotherhood.

“A grenade was thrown on a temple in Hiranagar sector around 7.30 pm but luckily it missed the intended target and exploded in an open area, without causing any damage or casualty,” Kathua Senior Superintendent of Police Shalinder Mishra told PTI about the Wednesday evening attack.

He said the whole area was immediately cordoned off and a massive operation was launched to nab the assailants.

No one has been arrested so far, he said.

Officials said the blast triggered panic among the people who ran for cover after hearing the loud noise.

On Sunday, police had arrested a Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist with two grenades near Bagh-e-Bahu in Jammu, foiling his attempt to carry out an attack in the winter capital.

A day earlier, three militant associates were arrested and six grenades were seized from them in Poonch district as police said they were planning to carry out a grenade attack at a religious place with the intention to harm the communal harmony in the border district.

On December 25, two terrorists, hailing from south Kashmir and affiliated with ‘The Resistance Force’ (TRF), believed to be an offshoot of LeT, were arrested in Jammu with an AK assault rifle, one pistol and some ammunition .