Bijbehara: A powerful explosion, purportedly caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), ripped through Pazalpora area of Bijbehara town here in Anantnag district early Tuesday morning.
Fortunately, despite the explosion taking place along the busy old National Highway (NH), no loss of life or injury to any person was reported due to the explosion. A garbage dumper, however, was completely damaged in the explosion whereas many vehicles parked alongside the road and a few shops suffered substantial damage.
“The explosive device was probably planted in the garbage dumper, which explains why it suffered such damage,” a police source told Kashmir Reader. “The FSL team is now working on the truck and will soon find out the nature of the blast and other details.”
The incident took place at about 11:10 AM near the scrap shops located in Pazalpora area.
“No loss of life or injuries to anyone, fortunately. The nature of the blast is being ascertained,” a senior police officer from Bijbehara said.
A large contingent of police and other armed forces reached the spot soon after the explosion. The area was briefly cordoned off and checking was conducted to try and nab the attackers, who had managed to flee after triggering the explosion.
Local sources told Kashmir Reader that gunshots were also heard in the area, following the powerful explosion. “Many window panes and windshields of cars were shattered due to the explosion. It was really powerful and miraculous at the same time that no one was injured given the fact that it is a busy road,” local sources told Kashmir Reader.
The explosion has come only two days after the second anniversary of Pulwama attack, when a suicide bombing left 40 CRPF men dead.
Also, this is the second such incident in a fortnight in Bijbehara along the old NH. On Jan 27, a powerful IED blast had ripped through a school building, leaving one army man dead and three others injured, ahead of army’s convoy movement on the NH. The place is not too far from the spot of today’s explosion, only a few kilometres apart.

Suhail A Shah