11 CRPF personnel injured in militant attack in J&K

Srinagar: In Jammu & Kashmir, eleven CRPF personnel were injured in a grenade attack on the para military installation in summer capital Srinagar yesterday evening. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Central Kashmir Range) Ghulam Hassan Bhat told AIR that around 7:45 PM, a grenade was lobbed at Ikhwan Hotel in Khayam area in Srinagar that houses 82 CRPF battalion.

The hotel is a security formation since 1990 when militancy erupted in the region. He said eleven personnel were injured and have been shifted to hospital for treatment. The area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers. Two militant outfits Hizbul Mujahideen and Tehreekul Mujahideen, in separate statements, claimed responsibility for the attack.

sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The attack comes just a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Srinagar. The security has already been beefed up across Kashmir valley and Srinagar in particular to prevent any untoward incident ahead of the Prime Minister's visit. The frisking and search operations have been intensified and security grid across Srinagar put on high alert.

The venue for the Prime Minister's rally -- Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium -- has been turned into a virtual fortress as Special Protection Group (SPG) has taken over the security of the venue with a large posse of police and paramilitary personnel deployed in and around the area to secure it.