SRINAGAR, Aug 27: A key minister in Indian-held Kashmir on Saturday survived a militant attack, while troops recovered a huge cache of explosives in a southern town, police said.

Suspected militants armed with automatic rifles opened fire on forest minister Ghulam Mohiudin Sofi’s motorcade near Handwara, 80km north of Srinagar, a police spokesman said.

The bullets narrowly missed the minister’s car as his security guards returned fire, forcing the attacker to flee, he said.

Sofi, a former separatist, was returning home after addressing a public rally in a neighbouring village.

Meanwhile, Indian troops recovered 600 kilograms of explosives from the basement of a multi-storey building in Anantnag town, 50km south of Srinagar, on Saturday, a police spokesman said.

“One person has been arrested. The hunt is on to track the owner of the building,” he said.

During the past three days, security forces have recovered more than a tonne of explosives from Anantnag district.—AFP