Saturday, August 13 2005 10:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jammu: Militants shot dead five persons, including two Village Defence Committee (VDC) members, and injured nine others at a village in Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir last night (Aug 12, 2005), official sources said here (Jammu) today (Aug 13, 2005). A group of heavily armed militants swooped in Chajroo village of Mahore tehsil between 9 pm and 10 pm last night and opened fire on VDC posts, the sources said.

The VDC members also retaliated but later escaped towards the village in view of heavy firing from the ultras' side.

The militants, who advanced towards the village while chasing two VDC members, continued indiscriminate firing in which five persons, including two VDCs, were killed and nine injured, three of them seriously, they said.

The injured were rushed to nearby Sub-District Hospital at Mahore, from where they were brought to the Govt Medical College Hospital here by a helicopter.

Meanwhile a contingent of security forces have rushed towards the village to track down the militants, who fled after the incident.

The identity of the victims is being ascertained, the sources said.