Suspected militants made an abortive attempt to hurl grenade at a police party outside a Central Reserve Police Force camp in Srinagar on Friday, officials said.
Unidentified militants hurled a grenade towards a police team outside Akhara building housing the troops of the CRPF at Budshah Chowk this evening but the grenade failed to explode, they said.
The Police and CRPF personnel cordoned off the area and diverted traffic, officials said adding the bomb disposal squad was informed and the device was later exploded by the experts after placing sandbags over it.
The latest grenade attack by militants came at a time when security forces have been put on high alert to foil any attempt by militants to disrupt the forthcoming Republic Day celebrations.
Militants had made an attempt to launch a suicide attack here on January 5. After nearly 22-hour long gunbattle, a policeman and a civilian were killed and 11 others were injured.
Reinforcements have been rushed to the area to maintain law and order as the killing of the civilian led to massive protests, the sources said.
Senior police and civil officers are trying to defuse the crisis and have sought the cooperation of the villagers, assuring action against the policemen involved in the firing, they said.
Meanwhile, groups of youths also clashed with police in Baramulla town, 55 km from Srinagar, shortly after Friday prayers.
The youths, chanting pro-freedom slogans, tried to take out a protest march in the town when they were stopped by police, triggering a clash, the sources said.
The police used batons and also fired teargas shells to restore law and order. The clashes between the two sides were continuing at several places in the town when last reports were received, they said.
