In Cold Blood

Shortly thereafter had come the announcement by the Pakistan-based United Jehad Council, an amalgam of 14terrorist outfits, announcing temporary suspension of its operations in the quake-ravaged areas of the valley.But, the terrorist incidents had continued unabated. But with the administrationconcentrating on relief measures, this, in many ways, was waiting to happen. Andhappen it did. With an eerie predictability.

Just when the the efforts of the administration, army and the air-forcewere beginning to be acknowledged for providing immediate relief after theearthquake - from across the line of control as well - came the terror attack onthe high security Tulsibagh area.

Tulsibagh is where where residences of ministers, MLAs and top bureaucrats are situated.And while the administration was fully mobilised in the earthquake relief work,the terrorists obviously thought it was a good time to strike.

Around 9 am, two terrorists on a motorcycle first tried to barge into the house ofJ&K CPI-M secretary and MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, firing indiscriminately and hurling a grenade.They were challenged by the security guards at the gate, triggering a gun battle in which oneof the two terrorists, along with a CRPF jawan and a policeman were killed, and a civilian injured.

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.

This is the second time in recent months when the preoccupation of theadministration with managing natural disasters increased vulnerability of thepublic figures to such attacks. Terrorists had attacked the divisionalheadquarters of the state government at Tankipora in the city in February whenthe government had diverted most of its resources to provide relief for thoseaffected by the snow tsunami.

Lone is the third minister of state to have fallen to militancy in the state.Former MoS for Home and National Conference leader Mushtaq Ahmad Lone was killed while he was campaigning in his home constituency of Lolab in Kupwara district in the 2002 polls.Before that in 2000, Ghulam Hassan Wani, also of the National Conference, became the first serving minister to be killed in a landmine blast in Anantnag district.

The Real Target

It is significant that the first target of the terrorists had been YusufTarigami. Only yesterday, a prominent CPI (M) leader Ghulam Nabi Ganai had been shot dead byterrorists in Anantnag district. A visibly shaken Tarigami, who said he was getting ready to go to Ganai's funeral when the militants struck, observed that there had been a major security lapse.

The J&K government had been asked to provide Z Plus security cover to theCPI(M) leader as he was on the hit list of militant outfits, especially HizbulMujahideen, many of whom had surrendered en masse in late 90s because of hispersonal intervention.

Though the state government had reverted back to the union home ministry withthe compliance report, it seems security was there on the papers only, said asenior home Minister official. According to the norms, Tarigami was to beprovided with 14 armed personnel at any given time besides a Personal SecurityOfficer, screening of visitors, two escort cars and a pilot car.

Tarigami denies the presence of any such cover and accuses the state governmentof being responsible for tardy security arrangements for him and otherpoliticians

with PTI inputs