Terrorists massacre 35 in J&K | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Terrorists massacre 35 in J&K

None | ByAshok Pahalwan (Reuters), Jammu
May 06, 2006 05:40 PM IST

Terrorists shot dead at least 35 Hindus in J&K ahead of crucial talks between PM Manmohan Singh and Kashmiri separatists.

Terrorists shot dead at least 35 Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of crucial talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Kashmiri separatists, officials and police said on Monday.

HT Image
HT Image

In one of the bloodiest massacres in recent months, terrorists struck two remote Hindu-dominated mountainous villages in Doda district, some 170 km northeast of Jammu, early on Monday, and gunned down 22 Hindus.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

On the same day, bullet-ridden bodies of nine Hindus were recovered from neighbouring Udhampur district. Police said the dead were Hindu cattle herdsmen reportedly kidnapped by suspected terrorists late on Sunday.

Four of them were found dead on Sunday itself.

No terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Prime Minister Singh, who is due to meet Kashmiri separatists on Wednesday and would travel to the violent region later this month for a Kashmir "roundtable", condemned the attack.

"People of Kashmir have rejected and rebuffed terrorists repeatedly," Singh said.

Witnesses of the Doda attack told a chilling story of a midnight knock followed by bursts of gunshots.

"It was a late hour knock," Rakesh Kumar said. "I told my brother not to open the door but he didn't listen and was whisked away to a nearby spot where he was shot."

He said the terrorists, some dressed in police uniforms while others in traditional Kashmiri dress -- a long, loose shirt and trousers -- split themselves into two groups before opening fire.

"They attacked two localities simultaneously," he said, adding there are more than 500 families live in the area, a majority of them Hindus.

Gulzar Ahmed Qureshi, a top Doda official, told Reuters the villagers were asked to assemble outside the house of the village head and later shot dead. "Yes, they are all Hindus," he added.

One wounded man told Sahara News television channel over the telephone that terrorists "took one man from each house".

"The others they told to go inside. They said they would set us free later. After going some distance, they started beating us up and then opened fire," the witness said.

The Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest Kashmiri terrorist group, denied any role in the attack.

"We strongly condemn these killings which seem to be a conspiracy of Indian security agencies to malign the ongoing freedom struggle and mujahideens (holy warriors)," a spokesman of the group said in telephone calls to local newspaper offices in Srinagar, the state's summer capital.

Hindus flee

Terrorist violence has increased in Kashmir in recent weeks with the onset of summer when snow melts in the region's mountain passes, allowing easier movement of terrorists between the two zones of Kashmir split between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, but claimed in full by both.

Tens of thousands have been killed in the scenic Himalayan region since an Islamic revolt began in 1989 against Indian rule. Thousands of Hindus have fled the state over the years.

Overall violence in the region has fallen due to a peace process between Islamabad and New Delhi which began in 2004.

In a bid to take the peace process forward, Prime Minister Singh is due to meet leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an amalgam of two dozen Kashmiri separatist parties.

Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the attack, terming it "an act of terrorism". The Singh-Hurriyat talks are being seen as an ice-breaker ahead of Singh's "roundtable" with Kashmiris in Srinagar.

"This has not gone well with people who don't want the peace process to succeed," said J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On