Local Minister Among Seven Killed in Kashmir

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, September 12, 2002

Local Minister Among Seven Killed in Kashmir

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of India-controlled Kashmir Mushtaq Ahmad Lone and six others were killed by militants in a grenade attack and gun fire at an election rally on Wednesday.

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Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of India-controlled Kashmir Mushtaq Ahmad Lone and six others were killed by militants in a grenade attack and gun fire at an election rally on Wednesday.

The militants, sitting in the ladies enclosure at the rally, lobbed a grenade and later fired indiscriminately towards the daisfrom where Lone was addressing the audience, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Simultaneously, his other accomplices resorted to random firing,in which the minister, his five security guards and a civilian were killed.

Twelve others were injured with four of them in critical condition in the attack, which took place at around 1300 PM local time on Wednesday at a village in Kupwara district of India-controlled part of the disputed Kashmir valley.

The attack will deal a heavy blow to the scheduled four-phased elections beginning from Sept. 16 in the area.

A little known militant outfit, Al-Arfeen, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to PTI.

A caller identifying himself as Abu Vikas called up two local news agencies, claiming responsibility for the dastardly attack besides warning that candidates would face similar attacks.

Senior police officials said that the outfit was an assumed name of Lashker-e-Taiba, who has been adopting this tactics in a bid to avoid pressures from the world community.

Lone, who was seriously injured, was rushed to nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead by doctors.

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