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15 villagers gunned down in Doda district

At least 15 Hindu villagers were gunned down by unidentified militants at village Chirjee in hilly Doda district, 350 kms from the winter capital Jammu.

Police sources said five others who received injuries were shifted to a hospital.

Early on Sunday, a group of heavily armed militants opened fire from automatic weapons at villagers of Chirjee killing 15 of them on the spot.

The villagers had difficulty shifting the injured to hospitals. They reached Kishtawar along with the wounded late on Sunday afternoon.

"We got the report about the massacre only in the afternoon. Immediately, senior police and civil officers rushed to the village along with army and paramilitary reinforcements," state Director General of Police A K Suri told rediff.com.

"It is difficult terrain and it will take them several hours to even reach the site of the massacre," he said.

Suri said militants also abducted five Village Defence Committee (VDC) members from Paddar area, near Kishtawar, which is close to the massacre site.

"Nothing is known about their fate. Police and security forces are searching for them," the police chief said.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the massacre, which comes a day after 13 persons, including six Hindu pilgrims and two police officers, died in a bomb explosion and firing on the route used by Amarnath-bound pilgrims.

After being suspended for a day following the attack at Seshnag, it was allowed the Amarnath yatra (pilgrimage) resumed on Sunday morning under tight security even as Union Minister of State for Home I D Swami air-dashed to Srinagar to take stock of the situation.

After a massive combing operation of the areas along the route, authorities allowed stranded pilgrims to proceed towards the holy cave.

Some 3000 pilgrims left Jammu on Sunday morning for Pahalgam, where the base camp is located, in heavily escorted vehicles.

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