Srinagar: Two policemen and a woman bystander were killed when suspected militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) blew up a car laden with explosives near a police bus in Srinagar on Saturday evening, police said.
A senior police officer said there was evidence suggesting LeT operative Rahman masterminded the blast.
Another police officer said guerrillas targeted the passing vehicle which was returning after dropping a group of inmates inside the high-security central Jail in Kathidarwaza locality of Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital.
"The bus had dropped the inmates minutes before and was returning when it got caught up in the explosion," said the police officer.
He said, "Two policemen including an assistant sub-inspector of police and a woman bystander were killed on the spot."
The officer said that nine policemen travelling in the bus, which was extensively damaged in the bombing, were injured and taken to hospital.
The condition of two injured policemen was serious, according to hospital sources.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
"I was returning home from my office when I heard the deafening explosion. I saw everyone running for cover. The sound of the blast made me shiver," said a bank employee, Abdul Ahad.
Senior police and paramilitary officers including Kashmir Zone Police Chief Farooq Ahmed rushed to the spot and supervised the evacuation of the injured to hospital.
Tension gripped the city after the bombing that came just as people were preparing to break their Ramzan fast.
Though the overall law-and-order situation in Kashmir has shown signs of improvement, guerrillas have been carrying out hit-and-run attacks here.
In two such strikes last month, four policemen died and 32 were wounded in the heart of Srinagar.
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