One killed, 17 hurt in J&K blast

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, the first in several months, which took place near Jehangir Chowk, reports Rashid Ahmad.

The lull in terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir was shattered on Wednesday when a blast rocked the summer capital city’s busiest point, the Jahangir Chowk. One person was killed and 17 were injured in the blast.

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The blast ripped off a concrete portion of the flyover, which fell on some cars parked beneath it, killing one Abdul Hamid Bhat of Chadura area.

Immediately after the blast, a caller identifying himself as a spokesperson of Al Madina, a shadow outfit of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Tayyeba, claimed responsibility for the attack. Minutes later, another outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) made similar claims. Claiming responsibility, the Hizbul Mujahideen said it carried out the improvised explosive device (IED) blast in retaliation to the killing of a top commander of the outfit.

The CRPF and the army, had in a joint operation, shot dead the top commander, Chota Jahangir, at Awantipora on Tuesday. Jahangir was known as a master IED bomb-maker in militant circles.

The blast came as a serious embarrassment for the authorities as it took place near the highest seat of power, the civil secretariat, which houses the office of the CM and his cabinet colleagues. The secretariat is closed these days as the offices have moved to Jammu for the winter.