Militants hit crowded Lal Chowk, kill 2 BSF jawans

Witnesses said the explosion caught people off guard because it was after a long time that a grenade was lobbed in the city, where police and paramilitary forces are conducting intensive searches in the run-up to Independence Day. ‘‘Since a large number of people were moving in the area, we did not retaliate,’’ a BSF jawans patrolling the area said.

Elsewhere, PHE Minister Qazi Mohammad Afzal survived a militant attack in Khawajabagh in Baramulla township when he was addressing a group of employees. Police said militants fired a rifle grenade which exploded 100 metres from him. Two civilians were injured in the attack.

Kashmir IGP K. Rajendra allayed fears of militants’ return to the city. He said militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have formed three suicide squads to disrupt I-Day functions in Srinagar.

The explosion comes when the Valley is in the middle of the Amarnath pilgrimage and is experiencing a successful tourist season which has registered 1.50 lakh arrivals till date.

A Tourism officials said: ‘‘The twin attacks at Tanda Army camp and Vaishnodevi pilgrims in Katra have curtailed the flow of tourists. Today’s attack would further reduce the numbers.’’