Six Muslim families move from Gool to safer places

Jammu, Nov 15 (UNI) Unnerved by the horrendous militant attack at Laancha village in Gool of Udhampur district, 29 members of six Muslim families, including five women and fifteen children (10 of them girls), have left their homes to move to a safer place.

Ramban Superintendent of Police Basant Kumar Rath told UNI, over phone, that people of Laancha and other villages have been living under terror of militants. He, however, said he could only confirm the news of the move, which reportedly took place last evening, by tomorrow morning.

''Yes it may be possible because the militants of various outfits, including Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), have been threatening the people since long and the Gool police have received many such type of complains,'' he further said, adding that the militant have been accusing local residents of being army and police informers.

Confirming the move, sources in Gool police station disclosed that officials had rushed to Laancha to verify the antecedents of these people who have moved to Ramban.

According to reports, the migrated people, identified as Noor Jamal and his seven-member family, Sakhiya and five members of his family, Makhana and his five-member familiy, Ismail and his seven-member family and Gulabdeen and five members of his family, left their homes yesterday and reached Ramban by evening.

The migrants had given eatables and other amenities, including lodging, by the local army estyablishment for ten days. The militant had set ablaze their houses between October 29 to 31, making them homeless and forcing them to seek a safe place to live and where they could arrange their livelihood.

Militants had openly threatened to kill the residents of Laancha and other villages.

Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants recently shot dead local resident Ahad Bhat, his wife and three daughters, charging him with working as informer for the army and the police.

UNI HGV VD DS1423