SRINAGAR, Jan 24: A politician’s brother and two suspected militants were killed in occupied Kashmir on Friday. where security forces arrested seven people and uncovered explosives ahead of India’s Republic Day, officials said.

Nasir Bandey was shot dead by at least five men when he stopped his car in Nagshereen village, near Srinagar, police said.

He was the brother of Mohammed Shafi, a local leader of the Congress party in Shopian township, 50kms south of Srinagar. Congress is part of the held state’s ruling coalition.

Shafi had contested the September-October assembly polls last year, but had lost. His house was attacked at least six times during the campaign.

In Doda district, four family members of another local Congress leader, Abdul Rashid, were injured in a grenade attack by on Thursday night, police said.

An Indian spokesman claimed troops had killed two militants in an encounter in Poonch district.

On Thursday night, two militants were arrested on a tipoff in Gopalpora village, Budgam district, said a Border Security Force spokesman.

He said the arrested militants were local Kashmiris, Arshad Hussain Dar and Shafi Sofi, who were members of the Lashkar-i-Taiba.

The spokesman said Dar was Lashkar’s “launching commander” in the sector and was in charge of recruitment.

Five handgrenades, a radio set and pistol ammunition were recovered from the arrested militants, the spokesman added.

He said troops had also recovered a stash in Srinagar that included 9.5kgs of explosive powder, a seven-kilogram improvised explosive and four detonators.

Security is tight across occupied Kashmir for Sunday’s Republic Day celebrations, which militants often try to disrupt.—AFP