Jammu: Eighteen persons were injured, three of them seriously, in a grenade attack by a militant on a mosque in Jammu City today (Jan 9, 2004), in which a Jammu and Kashmir Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Moulvi Abdul Rashid escaped unhurt, police said.

The unidentified militant hurled a grenade from a lane on the adjoining rooftop of Jama Ahal-e-Hadees mosque in Jatkatia Mohalla near Lakhdata Bazar around 13.50 hrs (IST), when Friday prayers were in progress.

The grenade, after hitting the electric wires exploded on the rooftop, injuring about eighteen people who were offering prayers, police said, adding the condition of three of them, including one 15-year youth Khuram, was stated to be serious.

Rashid, who was offering prayers in the main hall along with others however escaped unhurt. His personal security officer (PSO) opened fire from the weapon forcing the militant to run away to a nearby lane.

Some people also sustained bruises in the stampede when the injured were being shifted to hospital. The side wall on one side at the rooftop also collapsed during the stampede.

Police rushed to the site and started helping in rescue operations and further investigation is on.