M A I N   N E W S

Maqbool Dar escapes bid on life in Pulwama

Srinagar, April 27
In stepped up attacks in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls in Anantnag constituency on may 5, militants today made an abortive bid on the life of former Union Minister and Independent candidate Mohammad Maqbool Dar by firing on his motorcade in Pulwama district of Kashmir in which his two bodyguards were injured.

Official sources said militants opened fire on Dar’s motorcade at Wachi village around 3.50 p.m. and in the ensuing shootout between the ultras and security personnel his two guards were injured.

Dar escaped unhurt in the attack, the sources said.

The former Union Minister was campaigning in his constituency when the attack took place.

Fourteen persons, including two policemen, were injured when militants exploded a grenade at Drangbal in Pulwama district today, official sources said.

Militants lobbed a grenade at a moving CRPF vehicle in the main chowk in Pampore area, the sources said.

The grenade missed its intended target and exploded on the road injuring 14 persons, including Sub-Inspector Munir Ahmad and Constable Riyaz Ahmad, they said.

The injured were shifted to a hospital where the condition of three of them was stated to be serious, the sources said.

Militants fled the scene taking advantage of the panic which followed the blast, the sources said adding a hunt has been launched to nab them.

No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the incident so far.

Meanwhile, the body of one Gulzar Ahmad Mir, believed to have been killed by militants, was recovered by the police from Kawni village of Pulwama district this morning, the sources said.

They said militants also shot at and injured one Mubarak Ahmad Dar at Khudwani in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. Dar, who suffered bullet injuries in his legs, was moved to a hospital for treatment — PTI, UNI