Suspected militants shot dead three civilians, including a sarpanch affiliated to the Congress and his son, in the Tral area of South Kashmir, 40 km from Srinagar, on Monday night.
Unidentified gunmen fired on the 60-year-old Sarpanch and retired Block Development Officer, Ghulam Nabi Mir, when he was having dinner in his house at Batagund, close to the Tral township. The shots fired through the window killed Mr. Mir and his son Firdaus Ahmad Mir, 40.
In another attack, militants gunned down the village headman of Amlar, Dadsar Mohammad Amin Sheikh, 60. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Vijay Kumar said the militants used AK-47 rifles.
Sources said militants attacked Bashir Ahmad Malik, Kashmir Province president of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference. He, however, locked himself up and sought help. He was later taken to a police station.
The killing has spread a wave of terror two days ahead of the April 24 polling for the Lok Sabha election in the Anantnag-Pulwama constituency.
While no militant outfit has claimed responsibility yet, the DIG told The Hindu that a local group of Hizbul Mujahideen carried out the attacks.
