Anantnag, Oct 3 (UNI) Unidentified gunmen attacked the ancestral house of a Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in this south Kashmir district late Friday night, official sources said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former legislator Sofi Yousuf said the BJP leaders and workers would not be cowed down by such attacks.

Sources said a group of unidentified gunmen fired several rounds towards the house of Pinka Malik, a BJP leader, at Verinag in Anantnag. However, Malik was not present in the house, they said adding later gunmen escaped from the spot after firing with pistol. Parents of Malik who are still living in the house were not hurt, they added.

Later, security forces and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police launched a massive search operation but the gunmen had managed to escape.

Sofi Yousuf said Malik is a very dedicated activist of the party who is staying in a government quarter.

He said Superintendent of Police (SP) has assured that gunmen involved in the attack would be identified and caught soon. He quoted Station House Officer (SHO) that three empty cartridge of pistol were recovered from the spot.

Sofi Yousuf blamed Pakistan for such attacks on BJP leaders and workers in the valley. We lost five workers last month, he said adding that these attacks will not have any impact on the six lakh BJP workers who are going door to door to help people.

'We will not be cowed down by such attacks and will continue our work for the welfare of the people in the valley', he said.

UNI BAS SB 1301