State education minister in Indian Kashmir killed in his house

Suspected Islamic militants shot and killed the education minister of Indian-controlled Kashmir at his home Tuesday during a brazen raid on a high-security neighborhood that also left at least three other people dead and eight injured, police said. Soldiers were exchanging fire with militants holed up at the home of Ghulam Nabi Lone, education minister of India's Jammu-Kashmir state, said police Supt. Munir Khan said. Lone died while on the way to a hospital, Khan said.

The attack began when at least four militants hurled a grenade at paramilitary soldiers guarding a residential compound in central Srinagar containing homes of lawmakers and ministers and entered the complex, killing one paramilitary soldier and injuring four others, Khan said.

The militants then barged into the home of a lawmaker and fired indiscriminately. The lawmaker, Yusuf Tarigami, escaped but one of his security guards was killed.

The militants then scaled a wall to enter Lone's house next door and resumed firing, hitting Lone and injuring at least four other people at the minister's house.

One of the attackers was killed during fighting between the militants and soldiers at Lone's house, Khan said. At least three other rebels were in the house, police said, reports the AP. I.L.