At least nine people were killed and 29 others wounded when a cache of confiscated explosives detonated inside a police station in Indian-administered Kashmir late Friday, according to police sources.

The blast, which tore through Nowgam police station, comes just days after a car explosion in New Delhi killed eight people, an incident the government is treating as an act of terrorism.

India has since raised its security posture nationwide, imposing heightened checks at airports, stepping up monitoring along border areas, and placing Mumbai on high alert.

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Most of those killed in the Kashmir blast were police personnel, including forensic specialists who were examining the seized materials, the sources, who requested anonymity, told Reuters. Several of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.

“The identification of the bodies is ongoing, as some were completely burnt,” one source said, adding that the force of the explosion scattered human remains into nearby residential areas, up to 100–200 meters from the station.

A massive fire engulfed the compound following the blast, prompting firefighters to rush to the scene. Authorities said the police chief of Jammu and Kashmir, administered by India, is expected to address the media shortly.

The incident has heightened tensions in the already volatile Himalayan region, where India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed rivals, have fought multiple wars over their competing claims to Kashmir. The explosion also comes amid renewed scrutiny of security lapses after this week’s deadly blast in the Indian capital.

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