SRINAGAR: Militants killed two officials and another man in India-held Kashmir before issuing a warning to Kashmiris against voting this week in the mammoth elections, police and residents said on Tuesday.

The militants targeted two village council heads in separate attacks late on Monday in Pulwama district south of Srinagar, a senior police officer said.

“Three people including two village heads were killed by local militants active in the area and the attack is aimed to keep the voters away from polling,” Inspector General of Police A.G. Mir said.

“The attackers belong to the local militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen; they were two in number and we have identified them,” Mir said.

Police were hunting for the attackers, who entered the home of one village head and shot him dead in Tral area of Pulwama district. They killed another senior village official and his 24-year-old son about an hour later in the same area.

Separatists called for a boycott of the general election.—Reuters