Mirwaiz’s house attacked

Militants tossed a hand grenade towards Mirwaiz’s house in Nigeen. The grenade fell in the compound but no one was injured in the attack. Mirwaiz was not in the house when the incident occurred.

In the afternoon unidentified militants fired on Mirwaiz’s relative Maulvi Mushtaq, a retired deputy general manager of the State Road Transport corporation, while he was offering afternoon prayers at a mosque in Rajouri Kadal outside Mirwaiz Manzil.

The injured Mushtaq was rushed to SMHS hospital, where doctors treating him stated his condition to be critical. Mushtaq had been looking after affairs of Mirwaiz’s Awami Action Committee.

He is the second member of Mirwaiz’s family to be attacked in 13 years of turmoil. In 1991, unidentified militants had killed Maulvi Mohammad Farooq, Mirwaiz’s father.

‘‘We were offering afternoon prayers at Maulvi Mosque outside Mirwaiz Manzil. In the midst of prayers, we heard shots. Maulvi Mushtaq, who was offering prayers in one of the front rows, fell down as he was hit by several bullets. We rushed him to the hospital. However, in the melee, the militants escaped by jumping from the mosque window,’’ said Yaqoob Ahmad, an eyewitness.

A doctor attending on Maulvi Mushtaq said as his condition is critical and he has been shifted to SKIMS for further treatment.

Hurriyat Conference chairman Abu Abbas Ansari said the attacks were an attempts to derail the peace talks with the Centre, but these incidents were not going to scare the amalgam’s leadership.‘‘We will continue talks with the Centre,’’ Ansari told The Indian Express.

Blaming militants for the attacks, IGP K Rajendra, said the security of all the Hurriyat leaders, including Mirwaiz, will be reviewed.