The other assailant jumped over the boundary wall into the adjoining house ofeducation minister and PDP leader Ghulam Nabi Lone and opened fire at the minister and his two guests.
62-year-old Lone, who received bullet injuries in the chest, and his guests -- Ghulam Mohiuddin Khan and Ghulam Nabi Najar -- were rushed to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences where the minister was declared brought dead.
The militant managed to escape from the scene after jumping another wall in the rear side of Lone's residence, leaving behind a jacket, oneAK rifle and three magazines, as per the official sources.
Some stray bullets hit the residence of agriculture minister Abdul Aziz Zargar, who was not present at the time of the attack. He had left for quake-ravaged areas to oversee the relief and rehabilitation work early this morning.
Two militant outfits -- al Mansoorian and Islamic Front -- separately claimed responsibility for the attack that came a day after CPI-M leader Ghulam Nabi Ganai was shot dead by militants in Matan, 65 kms from here.
Lone, a doctor by profession, had joined the PDP just before the Assembly elections in 2002 and was elected from Sangrama constituency inSopore.
The attack has dealt a blow to the relief operations in the earthquake-hit areas of the state asthe focus of the entire administration was brought back to security related issues.