Family of militant shot dead in Poonch
Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
Nineteen people of a family allegedly related to a top militant, including three women and 11 girls, were killed at Bafliaz village in the Poonch district of Jammu region last night.
Meanwhile, three villagers were gunned down by militants at Mahore in Udhampur district. The police said militants opened fire on the villagers, killing three of them. Police reinforcements have been rushed to the village.
The killings came a good day after 38 villagers were gunned down by Kashmiri militants at Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. Fifteen others, who received injuries, were admitted to hospital.
The police said unidentified gunmen entered three houses and sprayed bullets on the villagers, killing 19 of them on the spot. The victims were believed to be relatives of a pro-Pakistan militant outfit, Lashkar-e Toiba. Search operations have been mounted in the area.
In the same village, militants had dragged Zakir Hussain, a state police constable from a bus and shot him dead. The area is reportedly very tense.
Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who was holidaying in London, is cutting short his visit and returning tonight.
CRPF Kashmir chief C M Panday said security forces have been instructed to rush immediately to areas where militants target Hindus. He said the forces have been asked not to wait for directions from above but to mount operations.
Meanwhile, Pakistani troops resumed heavy shelling all along the LoC in north Kashmir today after a brief lull, resulting in the death of two people, including a girl. Ten people were also injured in Uri.
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