Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader and his personal security officer (PSO) in the Chenab Valley’s Kishtwar area on Tuesday.

Initial reports suggest the PSO died of the bullet wounds on the spot, while RSS leader Chandrakant Singh was "in a critical condition."

The incident took place around noon when Mr. Singh, also a health department employee, was on duty at a local hospital. “Unknown gunmen came to the health facility and opened fire at the RSS leader and his PSO,” said an official.

A curfew was imposed in Kishtwar town “as a precautionary measures.”

On November 1 last year, suspected militants killed BJP state secretary Anil Parihar and his brother in similar fashion in Kishtwar, 106 km away from Jammu.