7 persons injured as shell goes off in Kupwara

Srinagar: At least seven persons, most o them minors, were injured after an explosive device went off while some of them were fiddling with it in Ahgam area in Rajwara Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Sunday.
The incident occurred this afternoon when many boys were playing with a device found by two of them, Junaid Ahmad Khan (12) and his brother Tanveer Ahmad Khan (18) sons of Mohammad Ashraf Khan, from a forest area nearby their native Ahgam Rajwara area, sources said.
The Ahgam area, sources said, is around 1.5 kilometers by radius even as it is around four kilometers away by road from Chanjimulla village where a colonel, a major and two soldiers beside a police sub-inspector were killed along with two unidentified militants in an overnight gunfight.
SHO-incharge Zachaldar Police Post Manzoor Ahmad told a local news agency that seven persons were injured in the explosion.
Sources said the injured were shifted to district hospital Handwara wherefrom four were shifted to SMHS hospital Srinagar for specialized treatment. They said around a dozen persons suffered injuries but only seven needed hospitalizations as others were given first aid for “very minor injuries” locally.
Meanwhile the in-charge SHO said investigations are underway as to wherefrom the device was brought from by these persons.
Asked that the sources say it was found by two of the boys from the near encounter site, he said: “Investigation is underway and nothing can be said with surety now.”
The injured have been identified as Reyaaz Ahmad (30) son of Mohammad Subhan Bhat, Mohammad Ashraf Qureshi (30) son of Syed Jaladun Qureshi, Syed Khalid Bukhari (17) son of Syed Hafeezullah Bukhari, Maqsood Ahmad Shah (28) son of Syed Mohammad Shah, Junaid Ahmad Khan (12) and his brother Tanveer Ahmad Khan (18) and Adil Ahmad Ganie (10) son of Ghulam Rasool Ganie.
Junaid, Adil, Maqsood, and Syed Khalid have been referred to SMHS hospital here.