Srinagar, Feb. 27: Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today escaped an attempt on his life by militants at Beerwa, 35 km from here in central Budgam district.

A senior police officer said militants fired two rifle grenades towards the venue of the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s rally this afternoon. But the grenades fell 300 metres short of the venue and killed a 15-year-old, identified as Samreena.

“Three persons, including a paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force trooper, were critically wounded in the explosions,” the officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said. He added that security guards immediately threw a tight cordon around the stage and took the chief minister to an adjacent school building. “The state revenue minister (Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen) was addressing the rally and Mufti was waiting for his turn to address the rally when the grenades exploded near the venue,” he said.

The explosions caused panic and the crowd ran for cover. Senior district police and civil officials tried to calm the people but most fled. The chief minister later addressed those who remained at the venue.

Authorities rushed reinforcements to the spot immediately and Mufti was escorted safely to Srinagar.

The chief minister later visited the Sri Pratap College there and laid the foundation stone of a new library complex.

“They (the militants) want to vitiate the atmosphere in Kashmir. But these attacks won’t deter me from pursuing the path of peace and prosperity,” Mufti said on his return.

Fresh protests were witnessed in north Kashmir’s Bandipore town today as people defied an indefinite curfew there to attend the burial of Mushtaq Ahmed, 17, who was killed in police firing yesterday. Police and security forces patrolled the town to enforce the curfew even as Mufti ordered an inquiry by the director-general of police.

The moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, which threatened on Wednesday to pull out of talks with the Centre unless “human rights violations in the state” are stopped by March 2, today hardened its stand further.

The Hurriyat described the Bandipore incident as an act of “state terrorism” aimed at crushing the “freedom movement”.

In Srinagar, the police held Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Mohammad Yasin Malik and Democratic Freedom Party chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah as they protested alleged atrocities by security forces.

The police fired teargas and used batons to disperse a stone-pelting mob at the Jamia Masjid in the old city at Nowhatta.

Vohra on talks recce

N.N. Vohra, the Centre’s interlocutor on Kashmir, will visit Srinagar next week to hold talks with Maulvi Abbas Ansari, the head of the Hurriyat.