SRINAGAR: Suspected militants in India-held Kashmir abducted and killed a military officer, the Indian army said on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old lieutenant was kidnappe d on Tuesday night while attending a relative`s wedding in the southern Shopian area, said military spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia. His bullet-riddled body was recovered on Wednesday morning, he added.

There was no independent confirmation of the incident and no militant groupissued any statement.

The killing comes amid an upsurge in violence in the disputed Himalayan region, where militants opposed to Indian rule have repeatedly attacked government forces and banks in recent weeks.

Last week, thousands of Indian government personnel cordoned off two dozen villages in the Shopian area while they hunted for militants. The operation was called off after about 10 hours without finding any suspects.-Agencies