Militants kill youth after slitting his throat ?

A decapitated body of a 25-year-old youth, who was abducted by unidentified militants on Wednesday night from his home in Hajin area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district, was recovered on Friday morning.

A police officer said the headless body of Manzoor Ahmad Bhat was found at an orchard in Bonmohalla, Hajin, 32 kms from here.

Police blamed the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit for Bhat's abduction and killing.

Militants barged into Manzoor's house on Wednesday night and beat the inmates before abducting the victim and his father Abdul Gaffar.

While Abdul was successful in escaping from the clutches of militants in spite of being fired upon his belly and injured with knives, Manzoor was brutally tortured by the ultras before his throat was slit, a senior police officer said.

"Four to five LeT militants, including Pakistanis, are behind the killing of Manzoor. The killings of civilians are the outcome of desperation by militants following a successful anti-insurgency operation launched by the forces across Kashmir. They (militants) have got rattled and are now targeting those who are not protected," he said.

Last year on November 2, a state BJP leader - Gowhar Bhat - was killed by the militants after slitting his throat in south Kashmir's Shopian district.

Before that on October 18, a school teacher was found dead with his throat slit in the same district, a week after three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at his house.

Meanwhile, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah questioned separatists for "maintaining silence" over the killing and decapitation of Bhat's body.

Without naming any separatist leader, Omar in a series of tweets said he is not surprised that no shutdown call was issued to protest Manzoor's killing.

"Any shutdown call or call for 'peaceful protests' for Manzoor Ahmed who's decapitated body was found in North Kashmir after he'd been abducted & killed by militants? No? I'm not surprised," he said.