Gunman opens fire at Farooq Abdullah’s convoy in Jammu, accused arrested

Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, who was travelling with him, escaped safely without being harmed.

A gunman opened fire at the convoy of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday as he was returning from a wedding function in Jammu, officials said. Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, who was travelling with him, escaped safely without being harmed, according to the reports.

The firing occurred when the two leaders were leaving the venue after attending the function. 

It is not yet clear whether the firing was specifically targeted at the VVIPs.

The accused, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, was quickly overpowered by security personnel at the venue and taken into custody.

Senior police officials rushed to the scene, and an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances and motive behind the incident.

In a brief statement, J&K Police said, “An incident of firing was reported at a function where JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah and Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary were present. One person has been arrested. More details are awaited.”

Eighty-nine-year-old Farooq Abdullah is a senior and widely respected national leader, protected by the NSG due to threat assessments by intelligence agencies.

He serves as the president of the National Conference and has held the position of Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir multiple times between 1982 and 2002. He also served as Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy from 2009 to 2014.

Farooq Abdullah is the son of Sheikh Abdullah, the first elected Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, and the father of Omar Abdullah, the current Chief Minister.

With the input from agency...