Hyderabad: Manish Ranjan, an official with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) hailing from Hyderabad, was fatally shot by militants in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday, while he was reportedly on a Leave Travel Concession (LTC) tour with his family.

Preliminary accounts suggest that Ranjan was attacked in the presence of his wife and children. As the attackers closed in, he instructed his family to retreat and escape the area. Tragically, he was shot and killed while trying to protect them.

A native of Bihar, Ranjan was employed in the administrative division of the IB. Jammu and Kashmir Police told reporters that his body is expected to arrive in Srinagar by Wednesday morning. The incident has deeply saddened both his family and associates in the intelligence service.