Militants yet again target telecom facility in Kashmir

Militants once again targeted a telecom facility in Kashmir as a grenade was lobbed today at a mobile phone tower in a downtown area of Srinagar, injuring one person and leading to disruption in communication services in the valley.
Militants, who have targeted telecom facilities in north Kashmir over the last 10 days, struck at such a facility in the capital Srinagar for the first time.
The tower, located in a residential compound, was attacked by the unidentified militants at Gadoodbagh in Habbakadal area around noon, police sources said.
The compound, owned by one Abdul Ahad Haji, houses two mobile towers, the sources said, adding the explosion caused injuries to Haji's son Shahoor and damage to a private car parked there.

A police spokesman said, "We are investigating the matter and analysing the nature of the explosive."
The attack comes after a series of strikes on communication facilities by militants in north Kashmir's Sopore and Pattan townships in Baramulla district and Handwara in Kupwara district which have left two persons dead.

The ultras are believed to be agitated over "theft" of their communication equipment from mobile transmission towers in Sopore and surrounding areas earlier this month.
The militants had allegedly installed communication equipment atop the towers of private and PSU companies.
The latest attack, which comes in the wake of threatening posters against the telecom installation landlords in south Kashmir Pulwama district, resulted in severe disruption in mobile phone and internet services in the valley.

The mobile service providers have maintained silence over the spate of attacks in the valley and the resultant disruption in services.