Mosque blast kills Kashmir cleric

The cleric was about to lead Friday prayers at the mosque

A prominent religious leader in Indian-administered Kashmir has been killed by a bomb outside a mosque in Srinagar, officials say.

Moulvi Showkat Ahmed Shah was entering the mosque when the bomb went off. At least one other person was hurt.

It is not clear who carried out the attack. The cleric was close to moderate separatist leader Yasin Malik.

The blast follows a lull in separatist violence in Kashmir, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan.

It is thought to be the first attack of its kind since 2009 when separatist leader, Fazal Haq Qureshi, survived an attempt on his life.

The situation in Srinagar is tense and the police and paramilitary forces have stepped up their presence on the streets.

According to a BBC reporter at the scene, Moulvi Showkat Ahmed Shah’s supporters are waiting to bury his body – it is currently lying in front of the mosque where he was attacked.

Some are in tears, others are chanting pro-independence slogans.

The cleric was a well-known supporter of the separatist movement, which wants an independent Kashmir.

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