<p>Unidentified militants shot dead a sarpanch in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday creating fresh wave of fear among the grassroot elected representatives of the Valley.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Police said the unidentified pistol borne militants shot dead Habibullah Mir sarpanch of Bomai, Sopore, when he was preparing to go to offer the Friday prayers.<br /><br />SHO Police Station Sopore Manzoor Ahmad told Deccan Herald that Mir was shot on neck. “As per initial investigations Mir was supervising construction work of the local masjid. At around 12:15 noon, an unidentified militant approached Mir and asked him to accompany him. Barely 100 meters away the militant shot Mir in his neck and it pierced through his head,” he said.<br /><br />The SHO said that Mir was taken to the District Hospital Sopore where he succumbed to his injuries.<br /><br />This was the first attack on a panchayat member by militants in 2013. Last year at least four panches and sarpanches were killed by the militants after the elections for Panchayats in the state were held after a gap of 33 years in 2011. The elections witnessed a record 80 per cent turnout.<br /><br />Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfits have been asking panchyat members to resign from their posts for over a year or face death. Reports said, the latest killing has sent shockwaves among the representatives across Kashmir valley with dozens of them contemplating to resign from their respective posts. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed the latest attack as cowardly act of the militants. <br /><br />“Another cowardly attack on a Sarpanch. I have no doubt the police will get to the bottom of this one ASAP (as soon as possible), Omar, who is in Pune, tweeted.<br /></p>
<p>Unidentified militants shot dead a sarpanch in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday creating fresh wave of fear among the grassroot elected representatives of the Valley.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Police said the unidentified pistol borne militants shot dead Habibullah Mir sarpanch of Bomai, Sopore, when he was preparing to go to offer the Friday prayers.<br /><br />SHO Police Station Sopore Manzoor Ahmad told Deccan Herald that Mir was shot on neck. “As per initial investigations Mir was supervising construction work of the local masjid. At around 12:15 noon, an unidentified militant approached Mir and asked him to accompany him. Barely 100 meters away the militant shot Mir in his neck and it pierced through his head,” he said.<br /><br />The SHO said that Mir was taken to the District Hospital Sopore where he succumbed to his injuries.<br /><br />This was the first attack on a panchayat member by militants in 2013. Last year at least four panches and sarpanches were killed by the militants after the elections for Panchayats in the state were held after a gap of 33 years in 2011. The elections witnessed a record 80 per cent turnout.<br /><br />Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfits have been asking panchyat members to resign from their posts for over a year or face death. Reports said, the latest killing has sent shockwaves among the representatives across Kashmir valley with dozens of them contemplating to resign from their respective posts. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed the latest attack as cowardly act of the militants. <br /><br />“Another cowardly attack on a Sarpanch. I have no doubt the police will get to the bottom of this one ASAP (as soon as possible), Omar, who is in Pune, tweeted.<br /></p>
