Authorities said on Tuesday that a suspected Improvised Explosive Device blast rocked Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, targeting a CRPF deployment. There was however no loss of life or injuries during the explosion.
The blast comes barely two days after the second anniversary of the Pulwama suicide bombing. Officials said soon after the blast, the area was cordoned by a team of police, Army and paramilitary troopers and searches were carried out, “Further investigation is on,” a police official said.
Officials said there was no loss of life or injury reported in the explosion which took place in Pazalpora area of Bijbehara. “Militants targeted a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bunker vehicle in Pazalpora area of Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a police officer was quoted by a national daily.
The officer told the daily that the blast damaged a few civilian vehicles, but there was no loss of life reported.
A senior police officer said a “small-sized IED was placed inside a truck”. “So far there are no details about any loss of life or injury in the incident,” a news agency reported. Officials said the area was cordoned off and further investigations are underway to determine the cause of the explosion.
The explosion comes barely two days after the second anniversary of the Pulwama suicide bombing in the adjoining Lethpora in which at least 45 security personnel were killed and dozens were injured.
The bombing, worst in Kashmir’s three-decade-old turmoil brought India and Pakistan on the brink of a war as the two nuclear-armed countries closed diplomatic missions in their respective countries. This was followed by a military build-up along the Line of Control.
In a dogfight between the air forces of the two countries, India said it has downed an F-16 fighter jet, a claim rejected by Pakistan which captured an Indian air force wing commander Abhinandan after downing his MiG aircraft.
In a reconciliatory gesture, Pakistan PM Imran Khan released the captured pilot, ends days of tensions. The relations between the two countries have not improved much since and they continued to deteriorate following the abrogation of the Article 370.
