Watch: Assassination Attempt On J&K Former CM Farooq Abdullah Foiled By NSG At Jammu Wedding

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah survived what police and political leaders described as an assassination attempt after a man allegedly opened fire at him from point-blank range during a wedding function in Jammu on Wednesday evening. The dramatic incident unfolded in front of guests, with security personnel reacting within seconds to prevent what could have been a fatal attack.

Dramatic Attack At Wedding Venue Ends In Narrow Escape

The incident took place during a marriage ceremony at Royal Park in Greater Kailash, Jammu, where Abdullah had arrived to attend the wedding of party leader BS Chouhan's daughter. According to videos from the scene, the attacker managed to come dangerously close to the veteran leader before trying to shoot him.

Witnesses and visuals showed the man standing only a few steps behind Farooq Abdullah, with his arm aligned near the leader's shoulder, before he discharged a shot. However, NSG commandos in Abdullah's close protection detail acted immediately, pushing the attacker and deflecting the firing attempt. The bullet missed its target, allowing the National Conference chief to escape unharmed.

Police later confirmed the sequence in an official statement, saying, "An attempt was made on the life of Farooq Abdullah when he was attending a marriage ceremony at the Royal Park in Greater Kailash, Jammu."

Attacker Overpowered, Weapon Seized On The Spot

The accused was identified as 65-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal. Officials said he was quickly overpowered and taken into custody after the firing. Videos from the venue showed guests and bystanders assaulting him moments after he was caught before security and police intervened.

Authorities also seized the pistol allegedly used in the attack from Jamwal's possession.

Reports said the accused appeared to be in an inebriated condition at the time of the incident. After his arrest, he was seen seated on a chair while speaking to police officers, calmly revealing details about himself. He reportedly told investigators he was a resident of Puranas Mandi in Jammu and claimed he had been waiting for this moment for the last 20 years.

Eyewitness Rakesh Singh told PTI that Jamwal introduced himself as the chairman of an obscure organisation called 'Jagran Manch' and said he lived off rent from several shops he owned.

Omar Abdullah Calls It An Assassination Attempt, Raises Security Questions

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed the incident a direct assassination attempt on his father, the 88-year-old former chief minister, and said major questions remained over how an armed man managed to get so close to a Z+ protectee.

In a post on X, Omar Abdullah wrote, "Allah is kind. My father had a very close shave. The details are sketchy at the moment but what is known is that a man with a loaded pistol was able to get within point blank range & discharge a shot."

He further credited the security team for preventing a tragedy, saying, "It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot & ensured that the assassination attempt failed. There are more questions than answers at the moment including but not limited to how someone was able to get this close to a Z+ NSG protected former CM."

The comments have intensified scrutiny over possible lapses in the security cordon around Farooq Abdullah, who is under Z+ protection.

Leaders Present At Event Confirm No One Was Injured

Farooq Abdullah was accompanied at the event by Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Nasir Sogami, adviser to the J&K Chief Minister.

Sogami also described the incident as a deliberate attempt on Abdullah's life, while cautioning that the motive remains unclear and it is too early to draw firm conclusions.

Speaking after the incident, he said, "Right now we can't draw any conclusions. God was so kind that we are safe. Farooq Abdullah is safe."

He also maintained that it was clearly an attempt to kill the senior leader, but added that authorities were still examining whether the breach amounted to a serious security lapse.