J-K: Two arrested in connection with Srinagar grenade attack

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 8 : Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday arrested two people in connection with the grenade attack near Amira Kadal Bridge in Srinagar on March 6 and also seized the vehicle used in the crime.
Lakshya Sharma, Superintendent of Police (SP) South, Srinagar said, "On March 6, information was received about grenade attack near Amira Kadal Bridge. The case was registered. It caused 38 injuries, including 36 civilians. Later two injured civilians succumbed to their injuries. Superintendent of police (SSP) Srinagar, Srinagar Rakesh Balwal formed an SIT. Two accused arrested."
The arrested accused have been identified as Mohammad Bariq and Fazil Nabi Sofi.
The police further said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) employed modern means of investigation and based on the technical evidence like minute frame by frame analysis of the CCTV footages of the scene of the crime, footages of CCTVs in the whole of Srinagar city, Cell Tower dump analysis, IP dump analysis, the recreation of the crime scene and by examination of some eye-witnesses.
Based on the CCTV footages, Cell Tower dump analysis, IP dump analysis, the recreation of the crime scene and by examination of some eye-witnesses, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was able to identify two accused who came on a two-wheeler without number-plate to commit this crime and fled on the same vehicle after committing the act, the police said.
"During the intense analysis of the CCTV trail in Srinagar city, the route adopted by both accused was located back to one neighborhood in Khanyar area," the police said in a statement.
The first accused namely Mohd Bariq was arrested from Khanyar, Srinagar. The police said Bariq's initial examination led to the arrest of a second accused namely Fazil Nabi Sofi. The two-wheeler used in this grenade attack was also seized by SIT.
The police said that these two accused had committed the terrorist act on the direction of active terrorists in Kashmir valley.
"The plan was to attack the parked security vehicle but due to grenade throwing from a moving two-wheeler, the target was missed and the grenade exploded in an adjacent crowded area where many roadside vendors and buyers were busy in routine works," the police said.
"Further, it was also found that this particular area was chosen due to the omnipresent chaos and turbulent traffic in this stretch of the area due to unorganized vendors and stalls on the road. There have been 2 other recent grenade attacks in this area i.e. on August 10, 2021, and on January 25, 2022," the police added.
The police said that this act of grenade throwing created terror, panic and anguish among the masses in the whole of Srinagar city.
The Srinagar Police also requested all commercial establishments/shops to install CCTV cameras inside and outside of their shops/commercial establishments as per the advisory issued by DC Srinagar.
"This will act as a strong deterrence to all the anti-social elements," it said.
Further investigation is underway.