Abductors on Monday released the 12-year-old son of Kashmir's Sopore municipal council chairman, 24 hours after he was kidnapped.

The abductors had demanded the resignation of Ghulam [Images] Rasool Dar, municipal council chairman of Sopore in Baramulla, for releasing his son Mehraj-ud-Din.

"The chairman submitted his resignation late on Sunday evening," an official said on condition of anonymity.

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Militants had on Sunday threatened to murder the boy if Rasool did not step down.

Two unidentified militants had abducted Mehraj-ud-Din from near his home at Mehrajpora locality in Sopore while he was playing.

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Police and security forces had launched a massive search to trace the boy.

More than a dozen elected councilors have so far resigned from their posts following threats from militants.

Militants have gunned down 6 councillors across Kashmir.

The authorities have detailed one security guard for each councilor.

The Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had said that the elected representatives for municipal elections would be "protected by their own people who voted for them".