SRINAGAR, Sept 12: Occupied Kashmir’s chief minister Farooq Abdullah and his son, who is India’s junior foreign minister, on Thursday fled a funeral for an assassinated minister after Mujahideen attacked an Indian army convoy nearby.
Farooq and Omar Abdullah flew out by helicopter after the 25-minute battle involving heavy gunfire and loud explosions. Several soldiers were injured.
The skirmish occurred less than a kilometre from a funeral for the held state’s law minister, Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, who was gunned down while he was addressing an election rally on Wednesday.
Mourners panicked at the sound of gunfire, but the funeral procession later continued peacefully, with Lone’s body wrapped in a white shroud covered in red, white and pink petals.
Police said seven people, including a political activist, were killed in separate clashes on Thursday and Wednesday night. The Kashmir Press Service said two groups had called to say they killed Lone.
Farooq Abdullah blamed the election attacks on Pakistan, which India has said wants to sabotage the poll.
“These killings and attacks are meant to disrupt the poll in the (held) state, but you will find no change in our resolve to go ahead with the process,” said Farooq, whose National Conference party is part of the ruling coalition in New Delhi.
FERNANDES IN TOWN: Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes met senior officials in Srinagar on Thursday to discuss the rising violence, officials said.
He had been due to attend the funeral in Lone’s remote home village of Sagam, near the Line of Control, but had not arrived by the time of the attack.
More than 300 people have been killed, including another candidate and several party workers, since the election was announced last month.—Reuters
