Seven die in Srinagar terror attack

Seven people including two guerrillas were killed and 22 others injured as militants attacked a ruling Congress party rally in Srinagar Sunday, barely three days ahead of Indian Prime Minister's proposed visit for the Kashmir roundtable.

Police said two fidayeen guerrillas lobbed hand grenades and fired indiscriminately from automatic weapons on the rally -- to mark the 15th death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi -- at the Sher-e-Kashmir Park in the heart of the city.

The guerrillas came running inside the park firing indiscriminately from their automatic weapons, said a youth Congress party worker.

Paramilitary reinforcements were rushed to the spot and the area around the park was surrounded.

"In all, 15 civilians and seven policemen including the Kashmir inspector general of police K. Rajendra Kumar and deputy superintendent of police Shiekh Faisal Quyoom were taken to SMHS hospital," Indo-Asian News Service quoted a local police officer as saying.

The condition of three injured people is stated to be serious.

Four people including three civilians and a cop died on the spot while another critically injured policeman succumbed to his injury in the medical institute, the officer said.

One of the guerrillas was gunned down by security forces inside the park.The other guerrilla who tried to escape was gunned down in the adjacent polo ground, he said.

The terror strike comes ahead of Manmohan Singh's second roundtable conference here on May 24-25 involving various groups to discuss ways to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

Four militant groups have threatened to disrupt the conference.

Source: Xinhua