Police said the militants blasted the first grenade at the main entrance of the heavily guarded legislature building in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-controlled area of a region disputed between India and Pakistan, reported The Guardian. The first attack was followed by another blast outside an abandoned cinema 500 yards away.
The newspaper reported that at least 12 people, including eight policemen, were wounded in the first blast, which apparently had targeted police patrolling outside, police said. One policeman later died of his wounds, officials said. The second blast appeared to have targeted a border security force patrol near the cinema, police said. It left three soldiers and eight civilians wounded.
Indian officials told the BBC that the attack was carried out by the Jaish-e-Mohammad group. This group is one of two groups that India blames for last month's murderous attack on the national parliament in Delhi, an attack that left 14 people dead. It was the attack on its Parliament that has brought India to the verge of war with neighboring Pakistan.
Just three months ago, the same Indian legislature building in Srinagar that was the scene of today’s attack witnessed a suicide bombing and armed attack. On the afternoon of October 1, 2001, a suicide bomber rammed a car full of explosives into the main gate of the state legislature building, killing 38 people. CNN reported at the time that the Jaish-e-Mohammad group claimed responsibility for the attack in calls to news agencies.
Today’s attack seems clearly aimed by militants to disrupt chances for a peaceful resolution of the current crisis, as it will make it much more difficult for India and Pakistan, neither of which apparently wants a war, to back down from the aggressive stances they have adopted. (www.albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
