J-K: Sarpanch, village official shot dead in Pulwama

Three days before the area goes to polls, suspected militants gunned down three persons including a sarpanch, his son and a village headman in two adjoining villages of south Kashmir Tral in Pulwama district.

A senior police officer said a village Sarpanch identified as Ghulam Nabi Mir and his son identified as Firdaus Mir were critically injured when militants fired at them from a close range near their home in Batgund village of Tral this evening.

“The father-son duo succumbed to their injuries in the hospital where they were evacuated for treatment,” the officer said. In another incident, militants struck in the adjoining Amler village in Tral town were they gunned down the village headman identified as Mohammad Anwar.

Panic has gripped sarpanches and panches after militants shot at and killed a sarpanch in the adjoining highway town of Awantipore in south Kashmir last week.

Following the killing, several sarpanches and panches announced their resignation from their elected offices. Tral, 45 kms from Srinagar is part of the South Kashmir Anantnag constituency which goes to polls on April 24 and the main contest is between the ruling National Conference, candidate Mehboob Beg and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti.

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Special Coverage: Election 2014