BJP leader shot dead by militants in Kashmir

A BJP leader was shot dead by unidentified militants and a lady was wounded in an incident in the volatile Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Wednesday evening.

A police official said unidentified militants shot at Rakesh Pandit, a BJP leader late in the evening.

He was shifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, the official said.

The official said that Pandit was shot at the house of his neighbour Mushtaq Ahmad and in the incident, Ahmad's daughter identified as Asifa was also injured. She has been shifted to a hospital, where her condition is stated to be critical.

The BJP councillor had two personal security officers (PSOs) to protect him. However, at the time of the attack his PSOs were not accompanying him, reports said.

Soon after the incident, security forces cordoned off the area to nab the attackers.