J&K Minister Naeem Akhtar's house attacked with petrol bombs in Srinagar

Pic courtsey: ANI

Srinagar: Separatists attacked the house of Education Minister Naeem Akhtar with two petrol bombs, shaking the calm but tense Kashmir Valley largely bound in continuous curfew and separatist-called shutdown, police said on Tuesday.

The attack on the minister`s house here took place late on Monday but no one was hurt, police said.

The attack took place in the upscale neighbourhood of Parray Pora. One of the bombs exploded in the compound, causing minor damage to a window. The other hit the outer wall of the house.

"The bombs exploded without causing any damage, one in the lawn and the other outside the compound wall," a police officer said.

The minister is at present living in a government accommodation in the high security Gupkar Road in Srinagar. It was the second attack on Akhtar.

Earlier, on Saturday he had a narrow escape when his car convoy was assaulted with stones near a village in north Kashmir where he had gone to take stock of the security situation.

On Tuesday, according to police, there were no violent clashes reported from anywhere in the valley. But protest demonstrations were held at many places with people chanting pro-freedom slogans during rallies in south Kashmir and Srinagar.

Police said the curfew continued in some areas of south Kashmir while restrictions on the assembly of four or more people remained in force in Srinagar city and other districts of Valley, which has been on the boil since the July 8 killing of rebel Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Nocturnal protests were held in Shopian district. But some semblance of normal activities of life was noticed in parts of Srinagar city as private vehicles and pedestrian movement for the second day almost after three weeks.

Traffic on both the Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Jammu national highways resumed during the night.

Train services, educational institutions, banks, post offices and government offices -- except essential services like health, water supply, electricity, food supplies, police and fire services -- remained shut here for 25th day.