Militants killed three men in restive Kashmir in attacks that appeared to be intended to intimidate locals who are due to vote in a general election later this week.

The execution-style attacks targeted two village council heads in Anantnag District.

The police and army launched a combined operation to find the militants suspected of executing the attacks, the most serious in Jammu and Kashmir.

Village headman, Mohammad Anwar Sheikh of Amlar Tral was killed at around 9 p.m. on Monday, while in another village, Batgund Tral, a village headman and his son was shot dead by militants.

Relatives and crowd of residents gathered at the deceased headman's house to express grief.

A relative of the deceased, Bashir Ahmed, said on Tuesday that a few unidentified men opened fire at the headman.

"We were going to offer prayers. While we were inside the mosque, someone came from outside and informed that a firing has taken place. When we came out we saw a body lying outside," he said.

Another relative, Sheikh Mohammad, said in his village the incident took place at around 8.55 p.m.

"Yesterday, at around 8.55 p.m, unidentified men opened fire at Ghulam Nabi Mir and his son Firdaus Ahmad, who succumbed to their injuries," he said.