National

Boy killed in militant attack

JAMMU: An 11-year-old boy was killed and three others injured when unidentified militants hurled a grenade at an election campaign by National Conference candidate from Sopore Mohammad Ashraf Ganai at Gund Brath on Tuesday. He, however, escaped unhurt. This is the first attack by militants on any poll meeting since the process kick-started last month.

Reports said that at around 1.30 p.m. Mr. Ganai was touring Gund Brath village in the constituency on foot and a good number of people joined him. While he was talking to people amid tight security, a grenade was thrown by an unknown person. It did not harm the candidate but exploded on the road, causing injuries to five persons. Panic gripped the whole village and Mr. Ganai was whisked away by his guards to a safe destination. The injured were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where the boy, Afaq Ahmad Ganai, succumbed to injuries. As soon as Afaq’s body was taken to the village, hundreds of people shouting anti-election and pro-freedom slogans gathered there and demanded an inquiry into the incident. They condemned the incident. NC patron Farooq Abdullah and president Omar Abdullah have condemned the attack and demanded compensation to the victim’s family.

Meanwhile, separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who returned to Srinagar from Delhi after treatment in Mumbai, was taken into custody by Budgam police along with his wife soon after they landed. He was later taken to his nearby Hyderpora residence and told that he was under house arrest.

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