Jammu, April 19: Twenty-one people belonging to the minority community were killed by militants at village Prankot in Mahore tehsil on Friday night leading to fresh migration from the area.Significantly, the nearest police post at Thub village were apprised of the situation from a civilian only last evening. The Deputy Inspector General of Police for Udhampur and Doda, K Rajinder, along with other senior police officials rushed to the area from Udhampur this morning.A special team of the Union Home Ministry, headed by Special Secretary M B Kaushal, also reached here this morning to take stock of the situation. The team reportedly went to Reasi to meet the people who have migrated from the area.The State Government, however, put the number of deaths at only 13, with an official spokesman saying the deceased included seven males, two females and four children. However, the spokesman did not identify the deceased.Sources in the Border Security Force (BSF), which has operational control over the area,confirmed 21 deaths and said the deceased belonged to four different families living in the village. One of the family was of the villager numberdar, Mani Ram.The militants, who are believed to be foreign mercenaries, dragged the victims out of their houses before killing them. They also burnt their houses, sources added.Significantly, no security forces or police have been deployed in the area though people have been migrating from here for many years due to fear of militants. The nearest police station from the site of massacre is at Thub located at a distance of 15 kms. One has to trek a hilly terrain to reach there.Well placed sources in the district administration at Udhampur said the area had been a ``safe zone'' for militants as it was under the operation command of the Border Security Force deployed in Rajouri district. The security forces from the neighbouring district visit the area once or twice a month as they have to trek a hilly terrain of about 40 kms from the last motorable spot atChasna, sources added.The massacre has led to fresh migration of people from the area, with 17 families belonging to minority community reaching Reasi town today. They were shifted to Pouni and placed in the Government school there.The Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Mehboob Iqbal, told The Indian Express that these families have been provided Rs 1,000 in cash and free ration for sustenance. Besides, the district administration has rushed security forces and para military forces to the area.Sources in the administration, however, attributed the massacre to militants' retaliation to the ongoing encounter at nearby Tiranga village. The security forces and the State Task Force (STF) of the State Police had cordoned off a militant hideout near the village for the last three days and killed three militants so far. The accomplices of the holed up militants appear to be behind the massacre at Prankote, sources said. Substantiating their claim, they referred to the messages aired by the killers ontheir wireless sets asking the security forces and the STF to lift the cordon if they did not wish the villagers to be harmed. This is worst ever massacre in the area ever since the outbreak of militancy in the State during the last eight years.Earlier in September last, the militants had killed 11 bus passangers belonging to the minority community near Mahore.
