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J&K minister, Congressman escape attacks

Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Haj and Auqaf Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad and a senior Congress politician, Peerzada Mohammad Syed, escaped murder attempts, while six foreign militants and a Congress activist were among 11 persons killed in the valley in the last 24 hours.

An official spokesman said extremists showered bullets on Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad's motorcade at Village Babapora Kulgam in Anantnag district last evening. Ahmad's guards returned the fire.

Ahmad, who was going to address an election rally in a nearby village, escaped unhurt. A massive hunt has been launched to nab the attackers.

This was the fourth attack on leaders of different political parties during the campaigning in Anantnag constituency, which goes to the polls on October 4.

Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ghulam Hyder Noorani was killed in a mine blast near Anantnag a fortnight ago. Prior to that, former Union ministers Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mohammad Maqbool Dar escaped unhurt in attacks.

The spokesman said militants attacked the vehicle of Peerzada Mohammad Syed, a senior Congress politician and former minister, at Tangwara in Anantnag. But he too escaped unhurt after his special police officer returned the fire. The assailants managed to escape.

The spokesman said extremists intercepted a passenger bus from Budgam to Khansahib at Kalshipora and shot dead a Congress activist, Haji Ghulam Mohammad Mir, last evening.

Militants fired upon the house of one Saif-ud-din Gujjar at Haihama in the frontier district of Kupwara, killing his daughter Zarina and injuring him and his brother.

Militants also kidnapped and killed one Abdul Majid at Budimohra while another person, Manzoor Hussain, was shot dead in Village Kandi.

The spokesman said an encounter took place between militants and security forces at Hanjipora Trehgam in Kupwara district. Five foreign militants were killed in the gun battle and four Kalashnikov rifles, one rocket launcher and 16 grenades were recovered.

Another foreign militant was gunned down by security forces in the Nowgam forest in Baramulla district during a search operation last evening. Three remote-control devices, one magazine and two rounds of ammunition were recovered from him.

Militants hurled a hand grenade towards a Border Security Force vehicle parked near Naaz Cinema in Srinagar last evening. Seventeen persons, including three Border Security Force men, were injured. One of the injured men, identified as Ghulam Ahmad, died later in hospital. The BSF vehicle was destroyed.

Security forces, however, averted a major tragedy when they detected and defused a powerful improvised explosive device in a urinal outside a hotel on Boulevard Road last evening.

Forces also recovered and later defused a 15-kilo IED kept under stones in the premises of a high school in Tral in Pulwama district.

At least two security force personnel were injured when militants hurled a hand grenade on their picket near the Punjab National Bank, MR Gunj, in downtown Srinagar last evening.

The spokesman said some gunmen entered the house of one Ghulam-ud-din Sheikh at Kanlibagh in Baramulla and robbed Rs 100,000 in gold ornaments and cash.

UNI

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