Farooq Abdullah Escapes Assassination Bid

March 13, 2026 — Farooq Abdullah spoke out Thursday after a gunman tried to kill him the night before. The 88-year-old National Conference president held a press briefing in Jammu. He called for a full probe and blamed the deep hatred in society. Security saved him, and God protected him too, he said.

The attack happened on Wednesday evening, March 11. It took place at Royal Park in Greater Kailash, Jammu. Abdullah attended a wedding there with Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and other leaders. While leaving the function around 10 pm, a man approached from behind, pulled out a pistol and fired at point-blank range. The shot missed as security personnel acted fast to deflect the arm and grabbed the gunman. Abdullah felt heat near his neck, he thought it was a firecracker at first, but no one got hurt badly.

Police arrested the suspect named Kamal Singh Jamwal, a 63-year-old. He lives in Purani Mandi, Jammu, and the pistol was his own personal licensed weapon. He waited 20 years to kill Abdullah, the attacker told the police while in custody. It was a personal grudge. Police are checking his background. They recovered CCTV footage which shows the exact moment. The man gets close, aims at Abdullah's neck but security jumps in at the right moment.

Abdullah addressed the media on Thursday. He looked calm. He said hatred runs deep in India now. He wants a thorough inquiry. His son, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, called it a very close shave. He questioned the security lapse despite the fact that Z+ protection was there, and yet the man got near. Leaders from across parties condemned the act. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq spoke against it too.

Stay updated with the latest news here.