SRINAGAR, 22 June 2006 — Seven Hindus were wounded when suspected militants hurled a grenade at a bus carrying 45 people yesterday.
The attack took place at the traffic intersection of Beehama, on the outskirts of Srinagar. The grenade landed inside the bus and exploded.
Witnesses said when the bus reached Beehama, passengers saw a ball-like object hit the window and land inside.
“One of the pilgrims threw the object that hit the door and exploded injuring seven passengers,” said a senior police officer.
While one passenger sustained serious injuries, doctors at the Soura Medical Institute declared six out of danger.
“I was sitting close to the driver’s seat when a ball-like object landed inside the bus smashing a window. A passenger sitting nearby tried to catch the object and throw it out but it fell near the door and exploded,” said Mukesh Vaishnav.
“We were chanting prayers when a loud explosion shook us,” Mahinder Kumar, who was attending to one of the wounded, told Reuters at a Srinagar hospital.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Kashmir in a 16-year uprising against New Delhi’s rule.
The two-month Hindu religious event called Amarnath pilgrimage has been targeted by militants several times in the past. No group claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attack. Thousands of soldiers and policemen have been deployed along the pilgrimage route — a treacherous mountain trek which takes pilgrims to the shrine at a height of 3,800 meters.
