Pulwama:
A sarpanch (village head) was today killed by suspected militants in Pulwama district in south Kashmir.
Ghulam Mohammad Lone was shot dead by the gunmen who had barged into his house in the evening.
He was the sarpanch of Kolpora Nyayna village of Pulwama, 40 kms from Srinagar.
Mr Lone is the sixth elected village council member to be killed by gunmen in the Valley after the 2011 panchayat elections, held across Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of over 28 years.
Following threats from the militants, sarpanchs and panchs have been demanding security. The state government says that providing individual security to all would not be possible but efforts have been made to provide overall security in areas where they live.