The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday arrested two men within 48 hours in connection with the grenade attack at Amira Kadal Bridge in Srinagar, PTI reported.
The attack, which took place in a busy area in the heart of the city, left two civilians dead and 36 others injured, the police said. The injured persons included two policemen.
The deceased were identified as Muhammad Aslam Makdhoomi, 79, and Rafiya, 19. The police had described the incident as an “act of terrorism”.
The first accused person was identified as Mohd Bariq and he was arrested from Khanyar – a locality in Srinagar. His examination led to the arrest of the second accused person, identified as Fazil Nabi Sofi. The two-wheeler used in the grenade attack was also seized by the special investigation team that had been formed immediately after the terror strike, PTI reported.
To solve the case, the team, headed by Lakshay Sharma, superintendent of police, had used technical evidence like frame-by-frame analysis of the CCTV footage from the crime scene and assessed phone call records, unidentified officials told PTI.
Based on this information and after examining some witnesses, the special investigation team identified the two accused persons who had reached the crime spot on a two-wheeler without a number plate. The route taken by both accused was traced back to Khanyar area.
The accused planned the grenade attack under the directions of active terrorists in Kashmir, a police statement said, Kashmir News Service reported. “The active terrorists are being tracked down,” the police added.
The initial plan was to attack the parked security vehicle in the bustling area, the statement added. However, the accused missed the target when the grenade was thrown from a moving two-wheeler and it ended up exploding in an adjacent crowded area, where many vendors and buyers were present.
“It was also found that this particular area was chosen due to being abuzz with people and traffic,” Sharma said in the statement.
Sharma added that there had been two other grenade attacks in the same area on August 10, 2021 and on January 25 this year. “Further investigation is underway.”
“Srinagar Police requests all commercial establishments and shops to install CCTV cameras inside and outside of their shops and commercial establishments as per advisory issued by DC Srinagar,” the Kashmir News Service reported. “This will act as strong deterrence to all the anti-social elements.”
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