“God saved me,” said veteran politician and former Farooq Abdullah in his first reaction after a man allegedly attempted to assassinate him during a wedding function in Jammu on Wednesday night. The attacker, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, allegedly targeted the president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference during the event held in the Greater Kailash area on the outskirts of the city. Abdullah had a narrow escape when the gunman opened fire from behind while the veteran leader was leaving the venue. “I am fine and God has saved me,” Abdullah told reporters on Thursday morning while recalling the terrifying moment when the assailant managed to reach extremely close to him before being stopped.
According to Abdullah, the attacker had managed to come right behind his neck before the situation dramatically changed. “At the last minute, he was overpowered by the security personnel, including the NSG. I was immediately put into my car and driven away safely,” he said. The veteran leader, who is a Z+ category protectee, escaped unharmed after the security team quickly intervened and neutralised the threat. Officials said the attacker had approached Abdullah from behind and attempted to fire a shot from point-blank range before the close protection team deflected the attack and restrained him.
The shocking incident has triggered serious concerns about the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir, a sensitive Union Territory where high-profile leaders are usually provided extensive protection. Under standard security protocol for such protectees, the area surrounding a public event should be sanitised in advance and strict access control measures are normally enforced to prevent armed individuals from getting close to political leaders.
While Farooq Abdullah himself declined to comment directly on whether there was a security lapse, his son Omar Abdullah raised serious questions about how the attacker managed to reach such proximity. In a post on X, Omar Abdullah said that what is known so far is that a man carrying a loaded pistol was able to get within point-blank range and even discharge a shot before being stopped by the protection team. He said it was the quick action of the close protection team that deflected the shot and ensured that the assassination attempt failed.
“There are more questions than answers at the moment, including how someone was able to get this close to a Z+ NSG-protected former chief minister,” Omar Abdullah said. After hearing about the attack, the chief minister rushed to Jammu and drove directly to his father’s residence to check on him.
Following the incident, senior security officials have begun reviewing the protection arrangements for all central government protectees in Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities are also considering additional measures to strengthen the security system, including upgrading the jammers used in VIP convoys and tightening access control at public events attended by high-profile leaders.
