Three civilian bystanders, including a 13-year-old boy, were killed and 19 wounded in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday when guerrillas tossed a hand grenade at a passing vehicle of the Border Security Force (BSF).
According to police in Srinagar, the blast took place in the main market area of north Kashmir's Bandipore town, 54 km from Srinagar, when guerrillas targeted the BSF vehicle.
"In all, 22 civilians were wounded in the powerful explosion. The injured were taken to hospital for treatment where attending doctors referred eight seriously wounded people to Srinagar for specialised treatment," said a police official.
He said three critically injured civilians, including 13-year-old Yaseer Rafiq and a cobbler from Rajasthan, succumbed to their injuries in the SMHS hospital.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the Monday afternoon blast that comes two days before Independence Day, when separatists have called for a shutdown. Security forces in the entire valley are on high alert.