Three persons including a teenage girl were killed when terrorists tossed a hand grenade towards the motorcade of a senior minister, Nayeem Akhtar, in the crowded bus stand of the Tral town in the South Kashmir on Thursday.

Seven Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and 32 others were injured in the attack.

The Public Works Department (PWD) Minister and Chief Spokesman of the J-K Government, Nayeem Akhtar, had a narrow escape as he was in the town and was on his way to inaugurate some projects in the area.

The 17-year-old Pinky Kaur, a student and resident of Chattrogam in Tral, Ghulam Nabi Parag and Mohammad Iqbal Khan lost their life in the terror attack that came shortly before the cavalcade of Akhtar crossed from there.

The three succumbed to the injuries while being taken to the hospital. Other injured were rushed to various hospitals in the town.

According to sources, two engineers travelling in vehicles moving with the minister were also injured.

Reacting to the grenade attack, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) party said, “Nothing can justify killing of civilians by such terror acts nor will it achieve any political goal. Killing of three civilians in Tral grenade attack is a dastardly act. Such terror acts have only resulted in destruction here”.

Leader of the opposition, Omar Abdullah in a tweet said “Condemn this militant attack. Glad Naeem Akhtar Sb is safe & well. My sympathies to families of the deceased & prayers for the injured”.

Later, while addressing the media Nayeem Akhtar said “It is really unfortunate that the grenade was lobbed at my cavalcade when we reached Tral bazaar”.

“I won’t forget in my entire life those who have lost their life,” he said.

The minister said that the attacker was neither a friend of Tral nor Kashmir. “He was not a friend of Islam too”. He wondered why they “chose this day (1st Muharram) to repeat Karabala.”

He said that the security forces showed “lot of restraint” while responding to the situation.

Nayeem added that everyday people level allegations against the security forces, but I think without them (security forces) there will be chaos all around.

In another terror incident, a head constable of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) was killed and another was injured when terrorists attacked them near the Jawahar Tunnel on the Jammu—Srinagar highway last night.