In major strikes barely 24 hours after the attack on Amarnath pilgrims, militants, on Sunday, shot dead 20 Hindus and abducted five of the same community at two remote villages in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, offficial sources said in Jammu. The militants swooped down on Cherji village, about 45 km from Kishtwar town, and opened indiscriminate fire on the houses of minority community killing 20 of them and wounding one.
Police and security forces have rushed to the area. Militants had attacked for the first time this year Amarnath pilgrims at Sheshnag in adjacent anantnag district on Saturday killing 12 people, including six pilgrims.
In a separate incident at Chatroo village, about 30 km from the last motorable road, heavily armed militants kidnapped five Hindus -- all members of the village defence committee -- after storming their houses late Saturday night. The abductees were taken to an undisclosed destination.
The security personnel have launched a massive search operation in the area to trace those abducted.
Bureau Report