Top municipal councillor, 4 rebels, killed in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Suspected Muslim rebels shot dead a popular municipal councillor outside a mosque while separately Indian troops killed four militants in a gunbattle inside a mountain cave, police said on Wednesday.

Mohammed Maqbool Shah, who belonged to Kashmir’s main opposition National Conference, was shot outside a mosque in Srinagar, according to police.

Shah won a councillor’s seat during February 1 civic elections and was a frontrunner for the mayor’s job in Srinagar.

Meanwhile, Indian troops shot dead four Islamic militants inside a cave in southern Rajouri district, police said. Police in Srinagar also resorted to firing teargas shells to disperse people gathered to protest the gunning down of a car mechanic on Sunday by paramilitary Border Security Force soldiers, witnesses said. afp

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