Car Bomb in Indian State Kills at Least 14, Injures More Than 50
At least 14 people died Saturday and more than 50 were injured when a powerful car bomb exploded in Jammu, an official of India’s Jammu and Kashmir state said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the incident. But Farooq Abdullah, the state minister, blamed Muslim rebels who are fighting Indian forces for independence. Jammu and Kashmir is India’s only predominantly Muslim state, and Jammu is mostly Hindu.
“There was only one blast, not two as previously reported,” Abdullah said by telephone from Jammu. “We strongly condemn this attack. Innocent people have died. Terrorism must stop.”
Earlier reports had said there were two blasts in the city’s crowded central bus station.
The blast occurred on the second day of crucial talks between Indian and Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi, the Indian capital, to ease tensions in a territorial dispute. The bitter rivals have fought two wars over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
