Suicide-bomber or explosives-laden car?

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, DEC. 26. As the death toll in Monday's blast outside the Army headquarters here climbed to 11, police and Army authorities are yet to ascertain whether it was a suicide-bomber who wanted to sneak into the cantonment who caused the damage or was the explosives- laden Maruti car triggered by a remote.

There are two theories doing the rounds, with two militant organisations giving different versions. Police is working on both, but has not arrived at a conclusion even after preliminary investigations. Though security had been tightened around Army and other sensitive installations, this blast has taken the Army authorities unawares; especially since the main gate of the headquarters has been extraordinarily walled and well-protected after the first two attacks and the security check has been intensified with round-the-clock presence of troops in the area. The authorities are baffled, and such is the confusion in the headquarters of the 15 Corps that the exact number of dead soldiers is still not known.

Police sources, however, insist that so far seven jawans have died. However, both police and the Army are agreed on the point that the real cause of the blast is yet to ascertained. ``Since only a few pieces of flesh have been recovered and not a major portion, it is difficult to say it was suicide-bomber who wanted to drive into the cantonment,'' said Mr. K. Rajjindra, DIG, Kashmir range. The adjoining waterlogged area will also be checked for scattered body parts, he told The Hindu, adding that some pieces could be of civilians who died.

Maj. Bharat Shahane, PRO at the 15 Corps headquarters, had the same story to tell. ``It is open to speculation, but the car could have been parked there. We are investigating,'' he said. He, however, maintained that only one soldier died in the blast and five were injured. Police sources said the figures were being concealed in order to not demoralise the forces. Interestingly, the Army is yet to register the FIR with the local police.

What led to the confusion over the cause was the responsibility claimed by two different militant outfits. The circumstantial evidence, which includes the identity of four civilians killed, residents of Baramulla, has lent credence to the theory that the explosives-fitted car was left there and detonated with a remote, as claimed by the Jamait-ul-Mujahideen.

But the Moulana Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed that the suicide-bomber was Abdullah Bhai from England. In the past, one Jaish militant had tried to suicide-bomb his way into the headquarters in April last, killing himself.

Also the incident might have been planned to coincide with the first anniversary of the Indian Airlines plane hijacking, according to a security official. Issuing statements contradicting one another could be an attempt to create confusion on the part of militants who want to derail the peace process, said the official.

The Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, who visited the blast site last evening, has ordered the Army authorities to conduct an inquiry.

Though the area seemed normal today, there was tension with the road wearing a deserted look and the shopping complex which caught fire still smouldering. Locals allege that after the blast the army went ``berserk'' and resorted to damage to the shops facing the gate. They also alleged that the complex was set on fire by the jawans and was not the result of the explosion on the other side of the road.

``Despite knowing that we are on the shops throughout the day, like they are at the gate, we had to face their fury,'' said a shopkeeper. The Army also allegedly resorted to beating civilians in the adjoining Lasjan area. There is little civilian movement and the traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway has been diverted towards the Panthachowk bypass.

It may take many days for normality to return and Eid this year may be not celebrated in this area with traditional fervour and gaiety as the Army and the civilian population stand further estranged.

`No laying down arms'

Meanwhile, front-ranking militant organisation, the Hizb-ul- Mujahideen, which has so far welcomed the ceasefire in a guarded manner has ruled out laying down arms to take part in the peace process.

However, it would support the peace moves if these are in tune with doing justice to the aspirations of Kashmiri people. In a statement, the Hizb spokesman in Kashmir, Mujahid Masood, maintained that expecting the Hizb to lay down arms while taking part in the peace process would be futile, obviously in reaction to the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani's statement that ``talks could be held with them after they lay down arms''.

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