Kashmir violence
Members of the media take pictures of seized rifles during a news conference by the Indian army after a gun battle, in Srinagar March 25, 2009. The Pakistan-based militant group blamed for the Mumbai attacks threatened on Wednesday more violence in disputed Indian Kashmir after a five-day gun battle with troops that killed 25 people.REUTERS/Fayaz Kabli

A policeman was killed after militants attacked a police station in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. Local sources said that the militants fired indiscriminately at the police station.

The cop, identified as Saqib Mir, was rushed to the nearby district hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

On Saturday, an SPO of the PDP MLA had fled after taking nine weapons from the guard room.

Three policemen were also killed by militants in Shopian recently. Police sources say that the local youths who recently joined militant outfits in South Kashmir are likely to be responsible for the attacks on policemen and weapon snatching.

The incidents of attacks on police posts and weapon snatching have been on a rise in valley especially after the dates of urban body and Panchayat elections were announced in the state.

The municipal elections will be held from October 8 whereas the panchayat polls will be held in November throughout the state.

In the wake of brewing tension and violence across the valley, the centre has decided to deploy an additional 400 companies of troops in the state during the elections.

The militant outfits have warned of acid attacks on the candidates contesting these elections. The district administrations have withheld the names and numbers of the candidates in the wake of increased threats.