Suspected blast reported hours before PM Modi’s J&K visit
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, a powerful explosion was heard in Laliana village, nearly 12 km away from the PM’s rally venue in the Union Territory.
The explosion sounds raised fears of a major security challenge in the valley. This is not the first such incident in the past few days. Earlier, multiple incidents of explosions and terrorist attacks have been reported ahead of the Prime Minister’s arrival in the UT.
The police reached the spot and started an investigation into the nature of the blast, which occurred a day after a terrorist linked to the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was arrested by J&K police.
The arrested terrorist was identified as Shafiq Ahmed Sheikh, a resident of Tral. “Shafiq Ahmed Sheikh, a resident of Tral, has been arrested. He was instructed by Jaish (terror organization) to come to Jammu. He had to keep two terrorists at his house. They were about to attack the security force camp near his house,” Mukesh Singh, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Zone said.
A senior police officer said that a small crater was formed following the explosion. He, however, ruled out any terror angle. Referring to local villagers, he asserted that the blast-like sound may have been caused either by lightning or a small meteorite-like object. “It doesn’t seem to be terror-related. Details are being ascertained,” the police officer added.
The police are also suspecting a lightning strike or a meteorite fall which could have led to the huge sound. Notably, this comes at a time when the security arrangements have been heightened in view of PM Modi’s visit to the valley.
Prior to this, a major terrorist attack was averted by the security forces in Jammu’s Sunjwan where two Pakistani terrorists were killed while 1 CISF officer lost his life.
On the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir today and address Gram Sabhas across the country. He will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development initiatives worth over Rs.20,000 crore.
This will be PM Modi’s first major trip to the Union Territory, other than his trips to border posts, since the abrogation of Article 370 and the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.
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