Police on March 8 arrested another suspect, identified as Showkat Ahmad Bhat from Chenani in Udhampur District in connection with the grenade attack at Bus Stand in Jammu on March 7, reports Daily Excelsior. Police sources said they got specific information that another suspect from South Kashmir had reached Jammu along with Yasir Javed Bhat alias Arhan, who had lobbed the grenade at Bus Stand on March 7 morning and was arrested in the evening from Nagrota when he too was trying to return to South Kashmir. No recoveries have been made from Showkat so far. However, he was being questioned to ascertain his involvement in Bus Stand blast or whether he was on another mission to Jammu.
Separately, militants snatched AK-47 rifle and 90 rounds from Daleep Kumar, Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana, from his rented house at Asrarabad near Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Kishtwar District on March 8, reports Daily Excelsior. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishtwar Shakti Pathak said that two militants entered the rented room of Daleep Kumar, a Police constable of District Police Lines (DPL) Kishtwar, posted with the DC Kishtwar as PSO on March 8 night, and decamped with his AK-47 rifle and 90 rounds. The militants were equipped with a gun and didn’t give any chance to Daleep to react. Pathak said massive search operations have been launched in entire Kishtwar town to nab the militants, responsible for the rifle snatching. This was second militancy-related incident in Kishtwar in little over four months.
Meanwhile, normal life remained disrupted in Kashmir on March 8 due to strike called by separatists to protest against ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), arresting its leadership and activists, PSA on Mohammad Yasin Malik and attempts to fiddle with the State subject law, reports Daily Excelsior. Shops, business establishments and petrol pumps remained closed on March 8. Security Forces (SFs) imposed restrictions in Srinagar to prevent any protests and violence. The restrictions under section 144 were imposed in parts of Srinagar.
For the second consecutive week, the Friday congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid (Srinagar) were disallowed by the authorities on March 8. The head cleric of the Masjid and All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who continued to remain under house arrest since March 7 evening was barred from leading prayers on March 8 at the Jamia Masjid.
Also, the Defence Ministry on March 9 said that the media reports on the abduction of Mohammad Yaseen, a serving Army soldier, who was on leave, are incorrect, reports The New Indian Express. "Media reports of the abduction of a serving Army soldier on leave from Qazipora, Chadoora, are incorrect. (The) individual is safe. Speculations may please be avoided," a Defence Ministry statement said. On March 8 evening, it was reported that armed militants had abducted Yaseen from his residence in central Kashmir's Budgam District.