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Kashmir MLA escapes murder bid

A ruling National Conference member of the legislative assembly, Mohammad Shafi Bhat, escaped an attempt on his life in Srinagar last evening while three security personnel and a foreign terrorist were among six persons killed in the last 24 hours in the valley.

An official spokesman said Bhat, MLA from Amira Kadal, escaped unhurt when his guards retaliated immediately as terrorists fired on him at Rajbagh.

The assailants, however, escaped under the cover of darkness.

This is the first terrorist attack on a legislator in the heart of the capital after the 1996 assembly election.

The spokesman said a security force personnel lost his life when terrorists fired upon a patrol party at Batgwari last evening. A numberdar was killed by unidentified gunmen at Hanga Banihal last night.

He said a patrol party retaliated against a terrorist attack at Nagrimalapora forest in the frontier district of Kupwara late last night. The exchange of fire left two soldiers dead and one injured.

The terrorist attackers, however, managed to escape.

Also, terrorists gunned down one person at his Braman Sopore house and kidnapped two others from Khamouwa Sopore late last night.

The spokesman said forces killed a foreign terrorist called Haihama in Kupwara and seized one Kalashnikov rifle, four magazines and some rounds.

He said security forces captured four terrorists, including a Pakistani national, Mohammad Abdullah, and seized 500 grams of RDX, 33 remote-control devices, 2.5 kilos of explosives, three detonators and one improvised explosive device.

Two pistols and as many magazines and four grenades were also seized from across the valley in overnight operations.

UNI

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