Militants attack Tourism Minister Sakina Itoo’s motorcade, two killed

A CRPF officer, Gyan Singh of 9th Batallion who was accompanying Itoo and a civilian were killed in the attack.

A senior police officer from Anantnag said a CRPF sub-inspector and two civilians were injured in the incident. He said the condition of one of the civilian was critical.

The officer said the National Conference leader was coming from her Noorabad residence when heavily armed militants triggered off a landmine near Damhal Hanjipora, 80 km from Srinagar.

However, the blast came a little after Itoo’s vehicle had passed.

Following the blast, militants resorted to firing and security guards in Itoo’s escort vehicle of retaliated. Two civilians and a CRPF officer were injured. The CRPF officer and a civilan later succumbed to their injuries.

The attack took place around 1230 hours IST when Itoo was on her way to Danev-Kandimarg for an election rally.

This is the second attempt on the life of Itoo, who is seeking re-election from Noorabad constituency of the district, in the past five days. On Wednesday, militants had hurled a grenade inside her house in Dhamhal Hanjipora injuring four of her party activists.

After the attack Itoo was immediately moved to a safer place and her election rally cancelled.

Security forces sealed off the entire area and launched a hunt for the militants, the sources said. No militant outfit has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

This is the first major militant strike in South Kashmir going to polls in the third phase on October 1. The attack comes barely five days after the assassination of Law Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Lone in Kupwara.