Srinagar: At least four security personnel, including three cops of the bomb disposal squad of local police, were injured in two powerful explosions in Pulwama district in South Kashmir on April 24, hours before the visit of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, official sources said.

The explosions were caused by militants who had planted two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the main road at Pinglish village in Tral, where later in the day Sayeed was scheduled to visit the families of six civilians who were killed in an explosion on April 22, they said.

In the first explosion, which occurred at around 10.15 am (IST), a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was seriously injured when militants set off the IED to target a security patrol in the area.

Soon after the explosion, BSF cordoned off the scene and detected another powerful IED.

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Bomb disposal squad of local police was pressed into action to neutralise the device. However, the IED went off critically injuring three cops, the sources said.

They have been identified as constable Manzoor Ahmad, constable Mohammad Yaseen and constable Khursheed Ahmad, they militants had on April 22 detonated an IED at Gulshanpora village of Tral, which killed six civilians including a boy and left 10 others injured.

PTI