Suspected separatist rebels have killed the Law Minister of Indian Kashmir and 15 other people in an attack in the village of Tikkipora.
Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, 48, died when suspected militants opened fire as he was addressing the public gathering at a school in the village.
Guerrillas fighting New Delhi's rule in Kashmir have threatened to kill participants in elections and violence has increased sharply in the state since the vote was announced on 2 August.
The fresh violence came on the anniversary of the 11 September suicide hijack attacks in the United States. Some Afghan militants fighting alongside Kashmiri separatists are believed to have trained with al Qaeda.
