At least one person was killed and 14 injured due to a suspected IED attack on Wednesday in Jammu’s Udhampur district town that is also headquarters of the Army’s strategic Northern Command. Among the injured also were women and children.

Efforts were being made to identify the killed person. The blast occured outside the court complex around noon.

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The IED is believed to have been planted by some terror module below the handcart of a vegetable seller.

The Additional Director General of Police (Jammu) Mukesh Kumar rushed to the spot from here and said that preliminary investigations indicate that it was an IED explosion. Further details will be available when experts of forensic science laboratories examine the spot.

“Preliminary examination suggests a low-intensity IED explosion. Forensic examination and careful and minute scrutiny of the site will reveal more accurate facts. Investigation of the case has commenced”, he tweeted.
The ADGP inspected the scene with DIG, SSP, NIA officials, CRPF commandant, and bomb disposal experts. He also visited the injured at the hospital and spoke to them.

The case has been handed over to the State Investigation Agency (SIA) whose officers have started investigating the matter.

Doctors said that splinters were detected from wounds of the injured persons brought to the hospital for treatment.
Among the injured were Anita and Varun, wife and minor son of one Yougal Kumar.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, in whose parliamentary constituency Udhampur falls, tweeted; “I am in touch with DC Indu Chib on minute to minute basis. Exact cause and origin of the blast being worked out..too early to draw any definite conclusion”. Further probe in the matter is underway.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari and several other political figures have condemned the attack and expressed sympathy with the kin of the killed and those injured.

In a statement, Bukhari said “no words are strong enough to condemn the heinous attack on innocent civilians. Government should firmly resolve to avenge this barbaric action by the enemies of peace and the perpetrators of the crime should be brought to justice”.