Monday, June 13 2005 15:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: In a major strike, militants today (Jun 13, 2005) exploded a car packed with about 40 kg RDX killing at least 14 people, including three CRPF officers, and injuring over 100 others near a CRPF camp in Pulwama town in South Kashmir.

DIG Shiekh Owais Ahmed said that militants detonated the car, laden with about 40 kg of RDX, at around 1130 hrs (IST), barely 50 metres from a CRPF camp and just outside a government school at Wachbug in Pulwama town.

Eleven civilians and three CRPF officers were killed due to splinter injuries so far and nearly 100 other persons were injured, official sources said.

The toll might go up as the condition of several of injured was stated to be critical, they said.

Police and Defence officials had earlier said the IED was fitted in a truck but recovery of an engine of a Maruti car some distance away and the lesser extent of damage to the truck suggested otherwise, the sources said.

The deceased CRPF officers have been identified as Inspector T R V Prasad, Sub Inspectors Amba Rao and J D R Kumar. The bodies of the CRPF personnel, who had gone to a bank on some official work, were recovered in a condition beyond recognition, giving rise to speculation that it might have been a failed suicide attack, they said.

Three persons were killed in the driver's compartment of a load carrier truck, which was passing past the RDX-laden parked Maruti car, the sources said.

Two students were also killed on the spot while four persons succumbed to injuries while being shifted to hospitals here, they said.

The school building, several shops and many parked vehicles were damaged in the blast with many residents they had never heard such an explosion during the 16-year-old militancy in the State.

The attack led to massive protests with people taking to streets and pelting stones on passing vehicles.

Police stepped in to bring the law and order situation under control by resorting to cane-charging. They used tear gas shells and few warning shots in air failed to quell the protestors, who continued to target the police and its vehicles, the sources said.

Pitched battles were being fought between the demostrators and police till last reports came in, they said adding senior police officials including IGP Kashmir, Javid Makhdoomi have rushed to the town.

No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.