Suspected militants shot dead Sameer Bhat, a panchayat head, at Khonmoh area near Srinagar on Wednesday, the police said. Bhat was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, according to the Kashmir News Service agency.

In a press note released on Wednesday evening, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said that at 6.50 pm, they received information about the attack. According to preliminary investigation, suspected militants barged into Bhat’s house and fired at him, the police said.

He succumbed to the gunshot injuries while undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.

The police have registered a case and started an investigation into the matter. The locality has been cordoned off and a search operation is underway, the police said.