Ghulam [Images] Nabi Wani, a municipal councilor from the National Conference, was shot dead by militants early on Wednesday morning at Khanyar in Srinagar [Images].

The police said that Wani, who represented the NC in the Srinagar municipal corporation, was shot while he was leaving a local mosque after the morning prayers. The unidentified militants came up to him and fired a volley of bullets from their automatic weapons, said the police.

"Wani was taken to the hospital in a critical condition, where doctors failed to revive him. He had a critical bullet injury in the head," a senior police officer said.

The shooting in broad daylight caused severe panic in the densely populated area. Security forces promptly cordoned off the locality and initiated a search operation.