A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was injured after militants lobbed a grenade at paramilitary forces in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday.
A police official said the militants lobbed a grenade at a CRPF party near Bijbehara hospital, leaving one paramilitary personnel injured. He was shifted to a hospital, where his condition is stable, he said. The injured CRFP man was identified as Patil Padmamakar of 40-Battalion.
Reports said immediately after the attack, the area was cordoned off to nab the attackers.
There has been a spurt in grenade attack cases in Kashmir in recent months and the latest attack comes at a time when first-ever district development council (DDC) polls are going on in the union territory.
On December 9, six civilians were injured when militants lobbed a grenade at security forces in Singhpora area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district. Prior to that, a dozen civilians were injured when militants lobbed a grenade at security forces in Kakapora area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on November 18.
A senior police officer involved in counter-insurgency operations said militants are targeting forces with grenades just to create an impression that they were present and militancy was alive in the Valley.
“After facing heat across Kashmir due to relentless operations by the security forces, militants are trying to revive the strategy of lobbing grenades at security forces and on busy roads. Throwing grenades at busy places is either aimed to provoke the security forces to fire indiscriminately or create a fear among them that they are vulnerable to such attacks,” he said.
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