4 more gunned down in Kashmir

JAMMU/UDHAMPUR, AUG 20: Less than two days after the Rajouri massacre, suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba LeT militants struck in Indh village of...

JAMMU/UDHAMPUR, AUG 20: Less than two days after the Rajouri massacre, suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba LeT militants struck in Indh village of Gool area in Udhampur district on Saturday night, killing four people and injuring two others, including a woman.

Three of the four victims were Dalits. While two of them were brothers and had a few years ago converted to Christianity, their cousin, who also fell to the militants8217; bullets, was a Hindu.

This was the third killing of civilians by LeT militants in Jammu region since August 15, and the ninth massacre since they shot dead Amarnath yatris in Pahalgam in southern district of Kashmir on August 1. The LeT started their killing spree soon after the announcement of ceasefire by the Hizbul Mujahideen commanders last month.

Inspector General of Police, Jammu Range, Radha Vinod Raju said the latest incident occurred at about 10 pm on Saturday. A group of 10-15 LeT militants reportedly entered Indh village around 9.30 pm and then split into two groups. While one engaged the Indian Reserve Police IRP personnel nearby by opening fire on their post, the other sneaked inside the village.

The second group barged into the house of Nasibu and before the latter could understand anything, started firing indiscriminately, aiming at whoever was in sight inside the house. Nasibu, 50, and his elder brother Maniya, 70, died on the spot. Nasibu8217;s cousin Mir Chand, 70, and their neighbour, Madan Lal, 15, died after two hours still waiting for treatment. Chand8217;s wife Krishna Devi, 60, and Panjabu Singh were seriously injured and are struggling for life at the district hospital. They were all gathered at Nasibu8217;s house for an after-dinner chat.

Superintendent of Police Ramban rushed to the spot to review the law and order situation. Security has been beefed up and various entry and exit points have been plugged to prevent militants from escaping from the area. Army and paramilitary forces have launched search operations.

Security agencies fighting militancy in the state feel the LeT8217;s spree of killings are a direct fallout of the increase in fissures between the Hizbul Mujahideen and the outfit. The Hizbul has killed three LeT members since the announcement of ceasefire by its commander Abdul Majid Dar last month.

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An LeT instructor who surrendered recently, Nawaz alias Abu Hijrat of Gujranwala, Pakistan, has told the Army that the outfit8217;s commanders would be scared that with the Hizbul joining hands with the Government, their operations would receive a big blow in the state. While the Hizbul has since gone back on the ceasefire, the LeT8217;s fear apparently remains.

As Nawaz says, 8220;They the Hizbul know most of our LeT8217;s hideouts and routes from where we cross in. Therefore, there is every possibility that once they go for truce, they might pass on this information to the security forces, creating a lot of trouble.8221;

But IGP Raju feels that infighting between the two outfits is not the only reason for these killings. 8220;They want to divert the attention of the security forces by carrying out such innocent killings in remote areas of different districts. But we will not get distracted,8221; Raju assured.