Bomb on Kashmir Bus Route Hurts 3

A bomb wounded three people Tuesday on a bus route scheduled to begin operating Thursday across disputed Kashmir, and separatist rebels warned prospective passengers to stay away.

Police said two other bombs were safely disarmed along the route between Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, and Muzaffarabad, capital of the Pakistani-controlled portion.

Three civilians were injured in the explosion at Hanjivira village about 20 miles north of Srinagar, a police officer said.

The blast occurred soon after a bomb squad defused two powerful explosive devices placed in plastic bags along the same highway in nearby Palhalan.

Kashmiri rebel groups have issued death threats against anyone planning to travel on the buses, which they see as a publicity gimmick that will do nothing to advance their goal of independence for Kashmir.

The threat was renewed Tuesday.

“If you want to let the Indians succeed through your stubbornness, then let it be known that you must suffer with your own ashes and blood,” a faxed statement said.

There was no way to independently verify the authenticity of the fax.

The trans-Kashmir road, once the region’s main highway, has been closed for nearly six decades because of the enmity between India and Pakistan, which both claim Kashmir in its entirety. Crossing between India and Pakistan now requires hours of travel to the south, to the one border checkpoint in the Indian state of Punjab.

The rebel statement urged supporters in the Indian-held portion of Kashmir who want to travel to the Pakistani-controlled sector to make the long trip to the checkpoint rather than use the bus service.

Rebel groups also have called for a general strike Thursday.