Srinagar, Apr 27 (UNI) A civilian was shot dead by unknown militants in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

They said terrorists fired at Ghulam Rasool Magray, 45, inside his residence at Kandi Khas late on Saturday, wounding him critically.

“ Magray was immediately rushed to a medical facility, from where he was shifted to a hospital in Srinagar, where he succumbed to his injuries,” officials said.

Following the attack, joint security forces launched a massive manhunt to trace the attackers.

The killing comes at a time when security forces have intensified operations against militants and their sympathisers in Kashmir, in wake of the Pahalgam attack earlier this week. In the ongoing crackdown, the homes of over six militants have been "demolished using explosives", and hundreds of suspects have been detained for questioning.

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