A chilling accident unfolded in Nowgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, claiming nine lives and injuring thirty-one others. The tragedy stemmed from confiscated explosives, detonated unexpectedly within the walls of a local police station late Friday night.
The explosives themselves were recently recovered from Faridabad, a city in the northern state of Haryana, just hours before a separate, devastating car blast rocked New Delhi, leaving twelve dead. Authorities had been meticulously handling the recovered materials, recognizing their inherent instability and sensitivity.
Despite exercising “utmost caution,” as regional police director general Nalin Prabhat stated, the explosives detonated during forensic examination. The blast ripped through the police station, causing severe structural damage and impacting nearby buildings.
Among the casualties were police officers, members of the forensic team, local crime photographers, and personnel from the local administration. The scene was one of immediate chaos and urgent response as rescue efforts began.
A militant organization calling itself the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), allegedly linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group, swiftly claimed responsibility for the explosion. However, authorities swiftly dismissed the claim as false and deliberately misleading.
The Jaish-e-Mohammed group has a long and violent history in the region, implicated in the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and the horrific 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed forty security personnel. Their alleged involvement continues to fuel regional tensions.
This latest incident arrives on the heels of the New Delhi blast earlier this week, which left at least twelve dead and thirty wounded. That attack, the most significant security breach in the capital in months, prompted a firm vow from the Indian government to pursue those responsible.
The recent surge in violence echoes a similar period earlier this year, when an attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, claimed the lives of twenty-six civilians, sparking clashes and escalating tensions with Pakistan. The region remains on high alert.
India’s government has pledged to bring all involved in the New Delhi bombing – the perpetrators, their collaborators, and those who funded them – to justice, labeling the act a clear act of terrorism. The investigation continues, shadowed by the recent tragedy in Nowgam.
