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Militants kill 3, abduct 5 in J&K

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Militants attacked village defence committee members today at village Panarah Basantgrah in Udhampur district of the Jammu region killing three of them. Five others were abducted.

Before fleeing, the militants took away five .303 rifles from the VDC members.

The fate of the abducted VDC members is not known.

Senior police and security force officers have rushed to the spot. A massive hunt has been mounted to trace them.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani airdashed to Jammu this morning to take stock of the deteriorating situation.

Immediately after his arrival in Jammu, Advani, accompanied by state Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Director General of Police Gurbachan Jagat, flew to Thahtri where 15 persons were killed two days back.

He is scheduled to meet the victims' relatives.

He will review the situation in the region with senior police and security force officers on his return to Jammu.

Sources said the state government would press for more paramilitary forces to fill the vacuum left by the Indian Army units which have been moved to Kargil.

The Kargil Crisis

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