Series Of ‘Mysterious Blasts’ In J&K's Kotranka Leaves Residents Panicking

The blasts have been occurring during night hours, causing further concern among locals of the picturesque area.

The officials said the IEDs (Improvised explosive devices) which are planted by unknown hands, went off suddenly in the dead of the night, creating chaos and fear in the area.

The locals said the “phenomenon” of these “mysterious blasts” started nearly a month back when two back-to-back blasts occurred outside Kotranka police station at the main chowk.

Last week, locals said another blast took place near Kotranka bridge along Anis river, leaving a non-local couple injured. The couple had?been selling flowers in the local market.

The third time a blast shattered the calm of Kotranka was on Sunday, when a loud bang caused mayhem in the area. In the blast, two labourers who were back from a marriage ceremony to take their owner’s merchandise back to his shop got injured.

Kotranka has largely been peaceful with no recent incidents of militancy. The officials said the area witnessed militancy mainly in 90’s. The last encounter that took place in Kotranka was in 2008. “It happened in Kotranka’s outskirts. The area has been peaceful,” said an official.

Kotranka with a majority of Muslim population has been living in religious bonhomie since decades, and locals also don’t rule out some conspiracy to disrupt the area’s amity.

“We are clueless to what his happening. Even in the worst of timea when the whole valley was burning, we lived peacefully. However, these mystery blasts all of a sudden have left everyone in a state of shock here,” said a local, Surjit Thakur, 27.

Political activist Guftar Ahmad Choudhary, from Pir Panjal—the mountain range under which Rajouri and other district fall in Jammu region, also wants police and the administration to unmask the faces behind the incidents.

“What is interesting to understand is that the timing of these blasts is same in the evening. The blasts have been occurring around 9 pm to 9:30 pm. It has resulted into fear psychosis in the area,” said Guftar Ahmad Choudhary.

He urged the police and other security agencies to act swiftly before these “mysterious blasts” mount into something huge. Police is investigating into it.

SSP Rajouri Mohammad Aslam Choudhary said they have picked some suspects, adding they are trying to find out if there is some local or foreign hand involved in the blasts.

“Some days back the blast that took place near Anis nallah in Kotranka occurred near a spot where rag pickers from outside live. We have picked up some remnants from there and sent it for forensic analysis,” said Choudhary, adding that his department has taken these mystery blasts?“seriously” and is inspecting the matter.