After quake, militants cause tremor in J&K, 10 gunned down

In gruesome pre-dawn strikes, militants allegedly belonging to pro-Pak Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, killed ten members of two Hindu families by slitting their throats in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir today, police sources said here.

A group of militants belonging to Hizbul’s so called Pir Panchal regiment led by its self-styled deputy divisional commander, Sangat Pathan alias Abu Hamza swooped on Rajnagar area of Budhal Tehsil in Rajouri and barged into the house of Munishi Ram late last night. Some of the militants helped themselves to the food later in the wee hours, killed Munshi Ram, his two sons, a brother and nephew by slitting their throats. All of them died on the spot, the sources said adding that the killers then fled the scene.

The same group is supposed to have later gone to Mora Gabber village nearby and forced their entry into the house of Kartar Singh and killed him and his three sons, the sources said. Kartar’s fourth son was injured in the attack. The militants also killed one Satbir Singh and Nazir Hussain in the area during their killing spree, they said.

However, no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the killings thus far. Police has launched a hunt to trace the attackers and suspect the involvement of Hizbul Mujahideen, which had warned people in rural areas from passing on information about them to police and security forces, they said.