Militants kill five Hindu labourers in Rajouri

Jammu, Mar 30 (UNI) Militants shot dead five Hindu labourers and wounded three others at Mathiyani Gala in Rajouri district of Jammu late last night.

A group of four militants attacked a labourers' camp under the Dharmsal police station at 2230 hrs yesterday and opened indiscriminate fire, leaving five people dead and three wounded, IGP Jammu S P Vaid told UNI today.

''Three labourers, however, managed to escape and informed the nearest army camp,'' he added.

The deceased were identifed as Chaman Lal, 32, Mohinder Kumar, 28, Baldev Kumar, 35, Rashpal Singh, 16, all from nearby Kurlian village and Sanjay Kumar, 21, of Solki village, police sources said.

The injured were airlifted to a military hospital in Satwari, they added.

A search operation had been launched by the security forces, an army spokesman said.

The incident took place even as discussions in the political echelons in New Delhi on troop withdrawal from the restive Jammu and Kashmir have intensified.

The PDP, a key partner in the Congress-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, has been pressing for the withdrawal of troops from the state.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned the brutal killing of innocent road labourers by the militants. ''It is an inhuman act committed by the militants due to frustration,'' he said.

The Chief Minister also visited the military hospital at Satwari here and met the injured.

UNI