IOK Education Minister gunned down

NEW DELHI—Heavily-armed persons on Tuesday shot dead Indian Held Kashmir Minister of State for Education Ghulam Nabi Lon e at his official residence in Tulsibagh locality in Srinagar.
The attack, which triggered a gun battle left two security men and an attacker dead on the spot, said a news report received here.
Firing indiscriminately and hurling hand grenades, they first attacked the residence of CPI-M MLA Yousuf Tarigami. After being challenged by his security personnel there, the attackers barged into the neighbouring house of Lone and opened fire injuring him critically, added the report.
The 62-year-old Lone, who had joined PDP just before the Assembly elections of the Held State only three years ago and won from Sangrama constituency, was rushed to the hospital where doctors declared him brought-dead.
Pakistan Tuesday condemned the killing of State Minister for Education in Srinagar Ghulam Nabi Lone.
Spokesperson of Foreign Office, in a statement issued here, condemned the killing of Ghulam Nabi Lone, State Minister for Education in Srinagar by unknown persons. The Spokesman said, the Government of Pakistan is against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Two unknown militant outfits namely al Mansoorian and Islamic Jehad Front have separately claimed responsibility for the killing of Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Education Ghulam Nabi Lone at his official residence in the high-security Tusli Bagh area, reported PTI. The attack, which took place at around 9am on Tuesday, comes a day after a Communist Party of India-Marxist leader, Ghulam Nabi Ganai, was killed in Matan, 65 kms from Srinagar. A caller claiming to be the spokesman of al-Mansoorian told a local news agency that its activists were behind the attack in the high security area of Sirinagar. Two security personnel and a militant were also killed and a civilian injured in the attack. Militants, firing indiscriminately and lobbing grenades, entered the house of CPI (M) member of legislative Assembly, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and after being challenged by security personnel there, barged into the neighboring house of Lone and fatally injured him. Lone was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead.—APP/INP