Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
New Delhi, November 15 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Police has put an end to all speculations and clarified that the explosion at the police station was accidental. However, what is being investigated is the behavior of the ammonium nitrate as it exploded itself.
Officials say the ammonium nitrate had reached an unstable state and hence exploded before forensic teams could collect samples.
An explosion occurred in the premises of Naugam police station in Jammu and Kashmir. Nine people lost their lives in this sudden explosion. Preliminary investigation suggests that the explosion occurred because the ammonium nitrate was unstable. It was converted into high grade explosive by the accused persons.
Ammonium nitrate was seized after a raid conducted against the Faridabad module of Jaish-e-Mohammed. The explosion occurred when ammonium nitrate was being handled. Officials said it was being handled with utmost care, but the volatile nature of the chemical led to the explosion.
The chemical was pushed beyond the stability limits, making it unstable in nature. Officials say this batch of ammonium nitrate was at the stage where it was ready to be packed into an improvised explosive device (IED). The accused persons had mixed sensitive agents as well as fuel while converting ammonium nitrate into a powerful explosive.
The chemical was at such a level that it had the potential to release enormous energy even without a detonator. This shows that the conspiracy hatched by the Faridabad module was at a very advanced stage. If the module had not been busted, the unimaginable would have happened.
Another official said that looking at the profile of the chemical, it was clear that it was to be used in larger IEDs, such as vehicle-borne explosives. The module members were planning to transport the ammonium nitrate to Delhi and other cities.
Whereas earlier, it was said that members of the Faridabad module were planning to carry out the attack on 6 December or 26 January. However, given the volatile nature of the seized chemical, their planning was much earlier. Officials said that if members of the module had stored the ammonium nitrate for a longer period of time it would have exploded on its own.
Investigators say that members of the terrorist module may have tried to use ammonium nitrate in a vehicle. However, given the nature of the chemicals, they could simply have been stored in a crowded area, such as a parking lot, marker, or subway corridor.
The chemical would have self-detonated, resulting in a massive build-up of pressure and a huge fireball. It could have caused many more casualties, and experts say it could have been worse than ordinary ammonium nitrate.
Naugam police had taken action against Jaish-e-Mohammed posters put up at various places. Dr. Adeel Ahmed Rather was seen putting up this poster in October, which warned of attacks on security forces and outsiders in Kashmir. After his arrest on October 27, police managed to break the Faridabad module which had carried out the Delhi Red Fort blast.
–IANS
Vicky/SKP