Ghulam Hassan, a local leader of the ruling National Conference (NC), was abducted overnight from his house in the village of Ayhtmulla, near Bandipora town, 60 kilometres north of Srinagar.

“We have found his headless body,” the spokesman said. “The search has been launched to find the missing head.”

GRENADE ATTACK: Thirteen people were injured in a blast on Monday when suspected Islamic militants threw a grenade at a bus stand in Indian-held Kashmir, police said.

The blast occurred at Kishtwar area of Doda district, 240kms east of Kashmir’s winter capital Jammu.

All the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

Earlier, Islamic rebels threw a grenade at a market in Doda area, but it did not explode.

Police said security has been tightened in the area and additional security forces have been deployed.

They said militants were attempting to step up attacks ahead of this month’s upcoming Kashmir state elections, which all the rebel groups have boycotted.

TRANSFERS: Authorities in Kashmir on Monday transferred 10 police officers ahead of this month’s state polls after directions from the Indian election commission, officials said.

“Ten police officers who had stayed for four or more years at one place of posting have been transferred,” occupied Kashmir’s chief electoral officer Pramod Jain told reporters in Srinagar.

Three of the officers are from the border districts of Baramulla and Kupwara, which go to polls along with four other border districts in the first phase of voting on Sept 16.

The transfer of officials who have stayed longer than usual in their postings is done to ensure that officials do not favour the ruling party.—AFP