Kathmandu: Nepal Government today (Sep 1, 2004) condemned the killing of 12 of its nationals by an Islamic militant group in Iraq and decided to stop issuing permission to send Nepalese workers to Jordan, from where they usually cross border in Iraq.

In a statement issued after emergency cabinet meeting Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's Government said it was shocked and deeply grieved by the news of inhuman and barbaric killing of the Nepalese hostages in Iraq.

"The Government considers this inhuman killing an act against human civilization and strongly deplorable."

The Government has decided to take strong action against the manpower agencies responsible for sending workers illegally to Iraq, the statement said.

The Government also announced that it would provide relief to the families of those killed.

The Nepalese were innocent and they had no any connection with the US Army, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat.

The news of the killings sparked angry demonstrations in various parts of Kathmandu yesterday night (Aug 31, 2004).

Students at Saraswati Campus and Amrit Science Campus blocked roads, burned tires and took out demonstrations to protest against the killings. They also shouted slogans against the Government and the employment agency that sent the Nepalese workers to Iraq.