Guerrillas kill sarpanch in Kashmir

Srinagar, April 18 (IANS) Separatist guerrillas killed a sarpanch (village headman) in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district late Thursday, an official said on Friday.

A senior police officer told IANS: "Militants fired at Sarpanch Muhammad Amin Pandit in Gulzarpora (Awantipora) village outside his residence yesterday (Thursday) evening.

"He succumbed to critical injuries although he was immediately shifted to hospital.

After the panchayat elections which were held in 2011, after a gap of over 20 years, in Jammu and Kashmir, elected village representatives, including sarpanchs and panchs, have been targeted by separatists.

The village representatives have been demanding security cover from the state government.

The administration has denied individual security to them maintaining that such an exercise would need thousands of security men.

The killing comes after the separatists warned people to stay away from Lok Sabha election.

The attack took place in a district that goes to poll on April 24.