22 Hindus killed in militant attack in Doda

Doda, May 1 (UNI) At least 22 Hindus were killed and ten others injured in two separate incidents as terrorists struck in a big way at Kulhand village, about 30 km from Doda town, last night, police said today.

However, Public Relations Officer of 16 Corp of Army Col D K Badola has put the number of those killed at 20.

According to police, unidentified militants, dressed as civilians and army personnel, simultaneously struck the Hindu-dominated villages of Dawa and Pauchra at around 2200 hrs and asked the people to come out of their homes on the pretext of a meeting.

After two hours, militants started firing indiscriminately, killing at least 22 people, including a woman, on the spot. Ten villagers, including two women, were injured in the attack. The militants fled from the area after the incident, police added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the terrorist attack and asked the perpetrators to realise that the people had rebuffed them repeatedly.

The Union Home Ministry said the attack reflected the frustration of militants in the context of the recently held bypolls in four Assembly constituencies.

Union Home Secretary V K Duggal reviewed the situation in the state and asked the government to strengthen security.

Governor Lt Gen (retd) S K Sinha and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also strongly condemned the incident.

The Chief Minister reached here by a chopper and visited the scene. He directed the security forces to take stringent measures against the terrorists.

Militants gunned down four shepherds in Lallalan Galla in Udampur district yesterday.

Nineteen of the deceased have been identified. They were -- Sunder Das, Ramesh Kumar, Jagdish Lal, Sadhu Ram, Swaroop Ram, Kumar Singh, Bhagat Singh, Romal Singh, Gori Master, Shashi Ram, Satish Master, Kunj Lal, Gopi Chand, Prem Nath, Ram Raj, Pritam Singh, Panchhi Ram, Maggar Ram and Sapna Devi.

The injured have been indentified as Satpal, Rajinder Kumar, Hoshiar Singh, Williat Singh, Kikar Singh, Bal Krishan, Gyan Singh, Bhushan Kumar, Shobhna Devi and Gilloo Devi. Out of these, nine have been air-lifted to Jammu Medical College.

Combing operations were underway to track down the militants, police said.

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