SRINAGAR, 18 July 2007 — At least 15 persons were wounded late yesterday evening in a militant grenade attack on the base camp of the annual Hindu Himalayan cave shrine pilgrimage.
The blast came hours after Jammu and Kashmir state got its new director general of police as the state Cabinet chaired by chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, decided to promote Kuldeep Khuda, presently additional director general (intelligence), to the top police job.
Police here said militants carried out a grenade explosion in the outer frisking point area of the Baltel base camp, 100 km from here late in the evening.
“Nine Tibetan vendors, two pilgrims and four locals were injured in the explosion, three of them critically that occurred in the outer frisking area of Baltel base camp late this evening. Three of the seriously wounded persons have been to referred to Soura Medical Institute for treatment,” a senior police officer here said.
He said, “Security is being further beefed up at and around the camp where hundreds of pilgrims are camping for their onward trek to the cave shrine tomorrow morning.”
This is the first militant attack on the two-month long pilgrimage which started here on June 30.
It must be mentioned here that 35 pilgrims were killed and over 50 others wounded in a militant attack on the south Kashmir Pahalgam pilgrim base camp in August 2000.
Yesterday’s explosion triggered heavy panic at the Baltel base camp which is situated on the foothills of the Zojila Pass that connects the Ladakh region of the state with the valley.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
