NEW DELHI, Jan 21: Ahead of the twin Republic Day celebrations and Rahul Gandhi’s “Bharat Jodo Yatra,” seven civilians were injured in coordinated twin blasts which went off within an interval of about 20 minutes in Jammu’s Narwal on Saturday posing a security challenge to the authorities..
The first explosion took place inside a parked vehicle in Narwal’s Transport Yard area around 11 a.m. followed by the second blast metres away in another vehicle. The condition of the seven injured in these blasts was stated to be stable, officials said.
“The first explosion took place inside a parked Bolero vehicle around 11 a.m. The area was vacated immediately. As the process of evacuation was completed, another explosion took place just 50 metres away. All the injured are stable. The incident is being investigated,” Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mukesh Singh said.
The police could not immediately divulge the details about the nature of blasts. A forensic team lifted traces of explosives from the spot to determine if it was an improvised explosive device (IED) with a timer or a sticky bomb, officials said. “We will share the facts with you. The blasts took place within 20 minutes,” Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Shakti Pathak told media persons.
These blasts took place amid the tight security arrangements made in the wake of upcoming Republic Day functions in the Union Territory (UT) and Mr. Gandhi’s upcoming visit to Jammu on January 23 as part of his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ campaign. Earlier this month, militants killed seven civilians in the Jammu Province’s Rajouri.
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was briefed by top police officials about the incident. He called for “urgent steps to identify and take action against those responsible.” “Such dastardly acts highlight the desperation and cowardice of those responsible. Take immediate and firm action. No efforts should be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice,” L-G Sinha said. Sinha also announced a relief amount of ₹50,000 for those injured in the incident. “The administration would ensure best possible treatment and extend every help required by the families,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
