On Wednesday, November 16, a blast took place at a bus stand near a Shiv Mandir in the Surankote area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. After the blast, shrapnel was found on the walls of the Hindu temple. There is no official confirmation of any casualties. The incident happened exactly a month after mysterious posters threatening Hindu and Sikh families to leave their homes had appeared here in Poonch.
Following the incident, there was an atmosphere of panic in the area. A forensic team has been called to the spot by the police and security around the blast site has been tightened.
In the video published by news agency ANI, security personnel with guns can be seen taking stock inside the temple. Holes and marks are also visible in many places on the walls of the temple.
#WATCH | Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir: Holes left on the walls due to splinters seen at Krishna temple Surankote. Security forces are on the spot; Priest says a blast occurred here last night pic.twitter.com/QbWHjSF0HS
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2023
The ‘mysterious’ explosion as officials called it, created a crater on the ground. The cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained. However, it could be a grenade attack, sources said. Security agencies have initiated an investigation.
Meanwhile, talking about the incident, the temple priest Atul Sharma stated that the explosion took place at around 8.50 pm on Wednesday. He recalled standing at the door of the temple when he heard a loud noise. He added that the guard informed him about the blast and urged him not to enter the temple premises. Following this, the priest called the relevant authorities. SHO and DSP arrived at the location after this.
#WATCH | Priest Atul Sharma says, "Last night, the blast was around 8:50 pm. We were all at the gate, and a loud noise was heard… Then I called the SHO, and they came on the spot. The Indian Army also reached here… The blast was very powerful, and we all were afraid…" pic.twitter.com/dhE2RTlW7I
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2023
Priest Atul Sharma further said that the Indian Army personnel also arrived at the scene and assessed the situation. The priest confirmed that the explosion resulted in no damage, however, the explosion was so strong that everyone got scared and ran helter-skelter. Many ran inside the temple to take shelter.
Three LeT terrorists arrested from the same area and on the same day when the blast happened
Notably, on the day the blast took place, the police had put up notices at the houses of several drug peddlers in the Poonch district. Additionally, the police had also arrested three terrorists including a government teacher in Salain village, which is in the same area where the explosion occurred. The accused were identified as Abdul Rashid Salian, Mehraj Ahmed and Ajaz Ahmed Shaikh (the government teacher).
Two pistols, four magazines, six mobile phones and cash worth Rs 2.5 lakh were recovered from those arrested. The police confirmed that the accused had to transport the consignment, which had reportedly been brought from across the border, to South Kashmir in a Tempo Traveller via Mughal Road.
The Safari vehicle in which the terror operatives had to shift the consignment to the Tempo Traveller has also been seized. The terror module reportedly belonged to the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
A case was registered and all three were being questioned.
Posters threatening Hindus and Sikhs pasted on houses in Poonch in Jammu & Kashmir
Notably, precisely one month earlier on October 14, mysterious posters threatening Hindu and Sikh families to leave their homes had come up in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. Posters were plastered on many residences, and warnings were issued to vacate their properties or else face the consequences.
People noticed the warnings outside their homes at around 6 in the evening on 14th October which alarmed them. “All Hindus and the Sikh community are reminded to leave this area as soon as possible. Otherwise, you would have to pay a heavy price for it,” according to the Urdu message inscribed on the posters.
The incident had sparked fear among people in the area. They had asked the army and police to take action against the anti-national elements who issued a threat to them.
