IED blast near venue sparks panic

There are conflicting versions of the blast. Director General of Police, Gopal Sharma, said it was a buried IED. But some senior officers guarding the area said it was a rocket launched from a nearby area.

DIG, Srinagar-Budgam range, H.K. Lohia, said, ‘‘It was a buried IED which did not explode during routine security exercise. It went off when we pressed the Taurus (IED-triggering vehicle) into service,’’ he said. ‘‘There was no loss of life or property.’’

Eyewitness reports said two policemen sustained injuries. Lohia said the blast was designed to create a ‘‘media sensation’’. Srinagar SSP Muneer Khan said the explosive device, buried three metres under a flower bed, was timed to explode during the function.

In Batamaloo, 3 km from the Bakshi stadium, with low security presence, the road was deserted in the afternoon. ‘‘I feel I am on a concrete no-man’s land,’’ said Zubair Ahmad, who had arrived from Jammu and was looking for a vehicle to carry him home to Baramulla.

A walk from Batamaloo to Lal Chowk brought up the security checks. ‘‘Please don’t mind, we have to do it. Kya karein duty hai (We can’t help it, it is our duty),’’ said a BSF man at a checkpoint.