Srinagar police arrest 3 in connection with flyover blast

Srinagar police on Thursday evening claimed to have solved last week's flyover blast mystery by arresting three out of four militants of Hizbul Mujaheedin, who it says carried out the explosion.

City police chief Ahfadul Mujtaba said, "The Hizbul outfit had assigned four of its north Kashmir cadre to carry out the bombing at any cost, as the outfit had failed to strike in the city".

"Directions were to cause a blast at any cost as the Hizbul had not been able to carry out any act of subversion in Srinagar for a long time, and this was a desperate and deliberate act, that led to the death of a civilian and injuries to many others," Mujtaba said.

The bombing broke a nearly eight month lull in Srinagar, and prompted the authorities to beef up security across the city.

He also produced the mobile phone that was used to trigger the pre-planted explosive device on the lone flyover in the high security Jahangir Chowk near the civil secretariat and the state high court complex on March 19.