Attack on spiritual leader, 4 killed, 16 injured in J

Srinagar, June 22 (UNI) Two people, including a woman, were killed and 16 injured today when unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade on the house of spiritual leader Ahad Sahib at Sopore in north Kashmir, according to official sources.

A militant of Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was among two people killed and two others were wounded overnight, in other insurgency related incidents.

Sources told UNI that assailants hurled a hand grenade towards the house of Ahad Sahib at Sopore, about 50 km from here in north Kashmir this afternoon at 1345 hours.

They said the grenade missed the intended target and exploded near the guest house, causing injuries to 18 people, including a police guard.

The spiritual leader however escaped unhurt in the attack, sources said.

The injured were admitted to hospital. However, ten seriously wounded, including three women, were brought here and admitted to SMHS hospital where a woman and a youth died. The condition of another woman is stated to be very critical.

An injured person told UNI that a large number of people were waiting for their turn to meet Ahad Sahib when suddenly there was a blast.

He said Ahad Sahib was sitting in another room.

This was for the first time in the 17-year-long spell of militancy in the state that a spiritual leader was attacked.

A large number of people from different parts of the valley rushed to Sopore to meet Ahad Sahib popuarly known as Darvesh Ahad Bab.

An official spokesman said security force and police in a joint operation killed a JeM militant in an encounter at Machil in the frontier district of Kupwara. One AK rifle, three magazines, three hand grenades and 82 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the slain militant.

Militants shot dead one Ghulam Rasool Najar at Rajpora Handwara last night while one Farooq Ahmad Lone, a driver, was injured when gunmen fired upon an ambulance.

UNI BAS YA GC1838