The incident took place even as panchayat polls are underway in the state. (Representational/Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

A day after a civilian was killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on suspicion of being an Army informer, militants on Saturday abducted and killed a 19-year-old in Shopian, PTI reported. The incident took place even as panchayat polls are underway in the state.

“Terrorists Saturday killed a civilian in a brutal act of terror in Shopian district after he was kidnapped earlier in the day from Saidpora area,” a police official was quoted as saying by PTI. A throat-slit body was found from an orchard area in Hermain village of the south Kashmir district, he added.

The deceased has been identified as Huzaif Ashraf (19), a resident of Manzgam area of the neighbouring Kulgam district. “Huzaif’s body was handed over to his family after completion of the medico-legal formalities,” the official said.

A case under relevant sections of law has been registered and the investigation has been initiated in the matter.

On Thursday night, militants had abducted and later killed Nadeem Manzoor, a resident of Safanagri area, police had said. Police said that the youth’s bullet-riddled body was found in Pulwama’s Niklora village.

The youth’s family members said that a group of gunmen entered their house on Thursday night when Nadeem was not at home. “When he came back, we told him that some people were looking for him. He again went out and was kidnapped. Later, we came to know that he has been killed and his body has been found,” Nadeem’s cousin told The Indian Express.

On Friday evening, an unauthenticated video went viral in the Valley, showing unknown gunmen firing at a man at an undisclosed location. Some reports have identified the man as Nadeem.

Police officers said they are verifying the video. “I have just seen it (the video). We are verifying it. I cannot comment on it unless we verify the content,” Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order and Security, Munir Ahmad Khan told The Indian Express.

In an audio message, also circulated on Friday evening, Hizbul Mujahideen’s operations’ chief Riyaz Naikoo said that their “do or die squad” found the informer of the encounter (in Safanagri).

Early this month, a senior BJP leader and his brother were killed by militants in Kishtwar district, to derail the rural local body polls.

-With ENS and PTI inputs