A pilgrimage by thousands of Hindus in Kashmir was halted Saturday after two bomb explosions and a clash with security personnel left 12 people dead and 15 injured, authorities said.
Security forces suspect Muslim extremists were behind the two blasts which came as the pilgrims made their way towards a cave-shrine to Hindu God Lord Shiva.
The incident comes within days of a failed summit between Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. Prominent militant groups had warned they would step up activities in Kashmir following the summit.
According to a Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman, the two bombs exploded around 3:00 am (2130 GMT) along the high-security route at Sheshnag, 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Pahalgam.
Pahalgam, 62 miles from Srinagar, Kashmir's summer capital, is one of the main base camps and a resting place for pilgrims before they embark upon the treacherous journey through high mountains to reach the shrine.
Two police officers including deputy superintendent of police Praveen Kumar and an assistant sub-inspector died instantly.
Immediately after the explosions, the suspected bombers and security forces engaged in a two-hour gun battle in which nine civilians were killed. Three of the victims were Hindu pilgrims and while three were Muslim porters, the BSF spokesman said.
One suspected Muslim militant was also shot dead by the security personnel, he added.
The spokesman said the bombings were carried out by two militants who dressed up as Hindu saints and infiltrated the pilgrimage. One of them was still being sought by security personnel.
Around 15 people including five policemen and six civilians were injured in the blast and in the gun battle. Helicopters were rushed to Sheshnag to ferry the injured to Pahalgam.
The Hindu devotees have stopped at base camps in Pahalgam, Nunwa and Chandanwari.
State governor Girish Chandra Saxena, who is also chairman of a board which looks after the annual pilgrimage, has rushed to the scene.
"At present, we cannot say whether the injured civilians are pilgrims or locals who work as collies and pony riders," senior BSF officer R.P. Singh told AFP.
"I have been told there are more deaths. I am trying to verify the facts."
The explosion sparked panic among the pilgrims and security personnel at another base camp, a kilometer away from the bomb site.
"Police have told us not to get panicky," said Nitesh Kumar, a pilgrim from New Delhi, who is staying at a hotel in Srinagar and who was due to take part in the pilgrimage.
"Whatever has happened is unfortunate," he said.
"We are totally stranded and do not understand what to do," said Alok Nath from Punjab. "We will stay in our hotel till we get fresh instructions from the authorities."
The BSF, which is tasked with providing security to the pilgrims along with the local police, has sent reinforcements to Sheshnag.
The annual pilgrimage is frequently a target for Muslim militant attacks but no group had so far claimed responsibility for the explosion. Last year, a violent clash between militants and personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Pahalgam during the pilgrimage left 32 civilians and pilgrims dead.
Before the start of the annual pilgrimage, dominant militant groups, including the Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba, declared they would not disturb the annual pilgrimage.
More than 70,000 pilgrims have visited Kashmir so far. Each year, around 100,000 Hindu pilgrims undertake the rigorous journey to reach the cave-shrine.
Elaborate security arrangements to protect them from Muslim attacks are made all along the route -- SRINAGAR, India (AFP)
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