Veteran journalist and Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari and his PSO were shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside the newspaper's office, police officers said. Bukhari, who was in his 50s, was leaving his office in Press Enclave in the city centre Lal Chowk for an iftar party when he was shot, officials said.

While one of the PSOs guarding him was killed, another policeman and a civilian were injured, they added. It was not immediately clear how many gunmen attacked Bukhari, who earlier worked with The Hindu newspaper as its Kashmir correspondent. Bukhari was instrumental in organising several conferences for peace in the Kashmir Valley.