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Saturday, Jun 17, 2006

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National

Militant attack leaves them disabled for life

Luv Puri

Five-hour torture for family

Jammu: It was a five-hour torture for Abdul Hamid's family at the hands of militants, who killed his 55-year-old brother and chopped off the ears and noses of many members at Nehoch in Udhampur district two days ago. The details of the incident were known only late Thursday night when patrol parties reached the spot and airlifted the injured to hospital. It takes eight hours from the nearest motorable road to reach Nehoch in Mahore tehsil.

Abdul Hamid (30) breaks into tears as he recollects the fateful night. "The militants came at 9 p.m. and asked everyone in the 14-member family to assemble in the courtyard. A Hizbul Mujahideen commander chopped off the ear and tongue of my 65-year-old father with a knife. When I went to his rescue, I was beaten up for for 30 minutes." After this they killed his brother Abdul Ahad and even injured his wife Fatima.

The militants alleged that the family passed on to the security forces information about a Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Qamar Din, who took refuge in the house. He was killed one month ago. But the family denies it had any hand in the killing of Qamar Din and says its only link with the Army is that its members work as porters. This job is a source of livelihood for many poor families. Abdul Hamid's family said it was Hizbul Mujahideen commander Qaiser Gul, who chopped off tongues and ears. A local Kashmiri speaking militant, he has been active for five years in the belt.

No help from neighbours

No one came to the rescue the family apparently out of fear. The militants decamped with Rs.60,000 from the house and set fire to 14 other houses, where children were asleep, said Abdul Hamid. With great difficulty the injured men rescued their Children.

Abdul Hamid said: "The militants sternly warned us not to come back home. We have lost our brother and many of us have become handicapped for the rest of our lives. Injuries would heal but I am worried about the future of our family as there is no home for us."

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