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Suicide bomber targets Badami Bagh
cantonment, eight killed

At least eight persons, including one soldier, were killed in a powerful car bomb explosion outside the main gate of the heavily guarded Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar on Monday afternoon.

Police sources said that a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden car to the entrance of the cantonment housing the headquarters of the 15 Corps before blowing the car up.

The Jamiatul Mujahideen and the Jaishe Mahammadi, the outfit which Maulana Masood Azhar currently heads, have both claimed responsibility for the blast. The latter identified the bomber as Abdullahbhai, a resident of Birmingham in the United Kingdom

The sources said the explosion killed eight persons, including the bomber, on the spot while 17 others, including eight security personnel, were wounded.

Police sources said the car bearing licence plate DL-5C-5889 was snatched from Mohammad Mujtaba in downtown Srinagar earlier in the day. Mujtaba was abducted and released later in the evening by the car snatchers.

Minutes after the explosion, Union Defence Minister George Fernandes arrived in Srinagar on a visit to the valley. Sources said immediately after his arrival, Fernandes drove to the local Hindustan Machine Tools factory and met the employees.

The minister did not visit the Badami Bagh cantonment. He later returned to New Delhi.

Public Relations Officer of 15 Corps Major Bharat Shahane told rediff.com, "Going by the account of witnesses, there was one suicide bomber inside the car. We are verifying this information."

Some of the civilians wounded in the incident were rushed to the army's base hospital.

The Kashmir range police chief, however, said that militants had parked the explosive laden car near the main entrance, which later exploded.

Parking of vehicles is banned in the area after a suicide bomber drove a car laden with explosives up to the main gate on April 19 this year before exploding it.

In November last year, then PRO of 15 Corps Major Purshottam and six soldiers were killed when a suicide squad of militants stormed the cantonment.

The troops guarding the area, sources said, opened fire resulting in injuries to a few civilians. The injured jawans were rushed to the hospital inside the cantonment.

The explosion set off a fire in an adjoining shopping complex. The fire engulfed several shops and fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

However, witnesses alleged the fire was started by the security forces. Senior police officers, including Inspector General (Kashmir) Dr Ashok Bhan, were not allowed to visit the spot.

Troops who sealed the area prevented the state's fire services chief from visiting the spot. Soldiers in full battle gear cordoned off the area. No movement was allowed till late Monday evening.

The traffic on the Srinagar-Anantnag highway was completely disrupted and all south Kashmir bound vehicles were diverted to other routes.

The blast comes days after the prime minister announced an one month extension in the unilateral ceasefire in J&K.

Militants lobbed a hand grenade on a security picket of the Special Services Bureau inside the government press building. However, no one was injured.

Later, SSB members allegedly roughed up scores of passers-by near the Lal Chowk bus stand.

On Monday morning, militants lobbed a hand grenade on a Border Security Force picket at Qamarwari in Srinagar resulting in injuries to two civilians.

Militants fired on a police patrol at village Pahanhad in Darhal sector of Rajouri district. The policemen returned the fire and in the gun battle, one special police officer was killed.

Militants on Monday afternoon shot at and killed one person identified as Bilal Ahmed Dar in Lal Chowk.

One militant was killed and an SPO wounded in a gun battle at village Khaniter Top in Poonch district.

COMPLETE COVERAGE
Government initiated ceasefire in J&K

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