At least nine people lost their lives and more than 25 others were injured after a massive explosion tore through the Nowgam Police Station in South Srinagar late on Friday night. The blast occurred while police and forensic teams were handling explosives recently seized in connection with the Faridabad terror module case.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos as flames and thick black smoke billowed from the police station. CCTV footage captured the sheer force of the explosion, which scattered debris across a wide area. Investigators confirmed that body parts were found as far as 300 feet from the site, underlining the intensity of the blast. Authorities fear the casualty figures may rise as several of the injured remain in critical condition and some people are still unaccounted for.
Police sources stated that two possibilities are being examined. One is that the ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material, accidentally ignited while being handled and sealed in the presence of a magistrate. The other is the possibility of a deliberate terror strike. Some officials also raised questions about a car found inside the police compound, which may have been rigged with an IED, potentially triggering the larger explosion. A shadow group reportedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, the PAFF, has claimed responsibility, though authorities are still verifying this claim. 
The explosives cache, weighing around 350 kg, had been recovered earlier from the rented home of Dr. Muzzamil Shakeel Ganaie in Faridabad, one of eight individuals arrested in connection with the terror module. Much of this stock had been stored at Nowgam Police Station, where the primary FIR was registered. Portions of the chemicals were sent to a forensic lab for analysis, but the majority remained at the station, leading to the catastrophic blast.
Following the explosion, security forces immediately sealed off the area and conducted sweeps with sniffer dogs. Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, visited the injured at a local hospital, and senior police officials began investigations into the incident. The Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police, Nalin Prabhat, convened a hybrid security review across the Union Territory, especially in the wake of the recent Red Fort car blast in Delhi, which killed 13 people. Officials are examining whether these two incidents are connected as part of a larger terror plan.
The investigation into the Faridabad module began after threatening posters appeared in Nowgam in mid-October. CCTV analysis led to the arrests of local residents, Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid. Further inquiry revealed the involvement of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic-turned-preacher believed to have radicalized several doctors and provided the posters.
The investigation extended to Al-Falah University in Faridabad, resulting in the arrests of doctors Muzzamil Ganaie and Shaheen Sayeed. From their rented rooms, authorities recovered large quantities of ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sulphur, and other chemicals. A total of 2,900 kg of additional explosive materials were linked to another doctor from Pulwama.
