Jammu, Aug 3 (UNI) At least 23 people, including four security personnel, were injured, two of them critically, when suspected militants lobbed a grenade on the crowd in front of Banihal Jama Masjid in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir this evening, official sources said.

Some suspected militants hurled the grenade on security personnel who were on duty at the Masjid but it missed the target and fell on the people gathered there for Friday prayers, the sources said.

The incident occurred at around 1700 hrs this evening.

The injured were identified as Yousuf, Shaukat Ali, Mohammad Iqbal, Mohammad Yousuf, Billal Ahmed, Ghulam Haider, Nissar Ahmed, Mohammad Yousuf, Nazira Beghum, Mohammad Latif, Ghulam Mohammad, Fakir Mohammad Javd Ahmed, Ghulam Ahmed Asgar Ali, Abdul Rashid, Mushtaq Ahmed and Mohammad Ashraf. Four security personnel, who were also injured in the attack, were Madan Lal and Bishan Das (ASIs) and PC Sharma and Mohammad Amin (firemen).

The security personnel rushed to the spot and the entire area was cordoned-off.

Twelve people have been referred to Srinagar Government Hospital where the condition of Nazira Behgum and Bishan Das was stated to be critical, the sources added.

UNI