Militants Suspected in Mutilation of 6 Kashmiris
There was a new and gruesome spate of violence in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir today, just days after the killing of 24 Hindus in a village there. Men believed to be Islamic militants cut off the noses of six villagers, according to police reports. Islamic militants have been waging a 14-year insurgency for the independence, or accession to Pakistan of Indian-held Kashmir. Pakistan also claims the territory, and the two nuclear-armed nations nearly went to war last year. India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring and supporting the militants as well as providing a base from which the militants can cross into India for the attacks. In the latest incident, eight gunmen reportedly entered a remote village in Rajouri District, which has been battered by violence in recent months, and asked for six Muslim villagers, including a woman, by name. They accused the villagers of being agents of the Indian Army, and mutilated their faces. Full Story