Jammu City faced a huge loss. At least seven persons were injured, one of them critically, in two back to back blasts. It is suspected to be powerful sticky bombs planted on two cars, in Narwal area of Jammu City on Saturday. The blasts occurred amid a high alert in view of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and five days ahead of the Republic Day celebrations.
A senior doctor at Government medical college and hospital said, “Seven injured in the blasts are being treated at the hospital. Surgery was performed on one of them, who suffered splinter injuries in his stomach and his condition was critical. He is identified as Arjun Kumar, 28, of Qasim Nagar.” The doctor informed that six others had suffered minor injuries but they were under severe trauma, for which psychiatrists have been called to treat their post-traumatic stress disorders.
However, additional director general of police Mukesh Singh said, “Six people were injured in twin blasts at Narwal. A blast occurred in a car in which five people in close vicinity were injured. They are all stable and were shifted to hospital. The area was cleared of all the people but then second blast occurred at a distance in which one more person was injured. The matter is being investigated.”
The area is a hub of trucks having shops of tyres, automobile parts, junk dealers and car accessories. Soon after the blasts, police officials rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. Injured were rushed to the hospital by shop keepers and locals. The area, a hub of commercial activity, remains busy throughout the day with people owning vehicles of all types visiting the place for repairs and maintenance.
An eyewitness Gurnam Singh said that a car had come for repair and it blasted injuring those in the close vicinity.“The second blast happened around 15 to 20 minutes later in a junked vehicle. The two blasts were very powerful,” he added. The two back to back blasts occurred at 11.10am and 11.30 am.
Official familiar with the matter confided to HT that going by the condition of the two vehicles, which suffered extensive damage, it appeared that powerful sticky bombs were planted on them. While forensic teams collected evidence from the site of blasts, CCTV footages of shops in the area were also accessed by the police teams to get some clues.
The twin blasts happened a day after Union minister of state for defence Ajay Bhatt paid tribute to fallen soldiers during a visit to Balidan Stambh war memorial adjoining Narwal area. On January 23, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Jammu City where he will hold a public rally at Satwari.
