‘No justification for targeting civilians’: Omar Abdullah after grenade attack at Srinagar market

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday condemned the grenade attack at the Sunday market in Srinagar and said there can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians.

At least 11 people, including two women, were injured, as militants threw a grenade towards a CRPF bunker near the Tourist Reception Center (TRC) crossing at the crowded flea market.

"The last few days have been dominated by headlines of attacks and encounters in parts of the Valley. Today's news of a grenade attack on innocent shoppers at the Sunday market in Srinagar is deeply disturbing. There can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians,” Omar said in a post on X.

READ - Grenade attack in Srinagar's Sunday market injures 10

The chief minister further said that the security apparatus must do everything possible to end the spurt of attacks at the earliest “so that people can go about their lives without any fear”.

The Congress party, an ally of Omar’s National Conference, also condemned the attack.

"It is deeply disturbing to learn about the unfortunate and ghastly incident of a grenade attack on shopkeepers...," Congress' Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra said.

"The Jammu and Kashmir Police must take effective measures to contain such brutal and inhuman attacks so that the public can move freely and without any fear," he added.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has directed the Union Territory's top police officer and other security officials to give a forceful response to the militants.

"The LG spoke to DGP Nalin Prabhat and senior officials of the security agencies on the grenade attack in Srinagar. He directed the security officials for an effective and forceful response to punish the terrorists and their associates," an official spokesman said.

Sunday’s grenade attack, which took place near a heavily guarded complex housing All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra, comes a day after a top commander of the Pakistan-sponsored Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed by security forces during an encounter in the Khanyar locality of the city.