Srinagar: Woman injured in grenade attack dies, toll rises to two

Rafiya Nazir, 19, who remained critical till late Sunday evening with splinter injuries, succumbed at the hospital. Mohammad Aslam Makdoomi, 55, was declared dead at the SMHS hospital on Sunday.

At her home near Hazratbal, emotional scenes played out as neighbours and relatives mourned Nazir’s demise. “She had only recently passed her 12th grade with good grades and was studying to take the NEET exam and become a doctor,” a relative said.

As they lifted her body for burial at the graveyard, her father Nazir Hussain screamed: “What will I do with all these books you bought?” Her mother, who was with her during the time of the blast, was inconsolable on Monday.

The grenade attack took place in a busy market at the foot of the Amira Kadal Bridge. The police said they had secured “vital clues” from CCTV footage in the area.

Political leaders across party lines condemned the attack. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday reiterated the government’s resolve “to dismantle terror ecosystem and defeat terrorism that continues to be perpetrated by the neighbouring country.”