14 February 2005	Monday	04 Muharram 1426

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Many newly-elected municipal councillors and members in the Kashmir valley have decided to resign, fearing attacks from militants despite assurances by the government to provide security, United News of India said on Sunday.

It said the head of the pro-India National Conference, Omar Abdullah has announced that all 84 councillors and members of the party would resign en masse if they were not provided enough security.

The recent local polls in the valley were boycotted by the Kashmiri Resistance groups, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC). "We have been left with no alternative but to ask all the party councillors to resign en masse if the government fails to provide us security immediately," Mr Abdullah said.

He said one of his councillors was shot dead by militants at Ikhrajpora when he was coming out of a mosque after offering prayers. One each elected member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference been killed by the militants while two of Abdullah's men were gunned down after they filed their nomination papers for the election.