Militants blow up rail track in Kashmir

SRINAGAR - Separatist guerrillas carried out an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that damaged three meters of rail track in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, an official said Friday.

Around 10 p.m. last evening (Thursday), militants carried out an IED blast blowing off two to three metres of the rail track at Gulbugh village near Kakapora town of Pulwama district,” a senior police officer told IANS here.

Restoration work started this morning and rail traffic would resume soon, he said.

Railway authorities said the morning departure of the train from south Kashmir’s Qazigund station has been delayed.

Hundreds of office goers, businessmen and students board the train in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Pulwama districts in the morning to reach their work places in Srinagar, Badgam and Baramulla districts.

This is the first time that separatist guerrillas have attempted to disrupt rail traffic in the valley. The rail services connect south Kashmir with north Kashmir.