JAMMU, Nov 24 — Five Hindus were today killed by Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in the forest belt of Dechan in Doda district, the police said.

The police said that four unidentified gunmen stopped a passenger bus, which was on its way from Kishtwar to Dechan, today. They brought down seven passengers belonging to the minority community. Other passengers, belonging to the majority community, intervened and succeeded in getting released two of the kidnapped persons. The militants later dragged five passengers to the nearby forest belt.

Before the security forces and the police carried out search operations, bodies of the five persons were found in the nearby forest belt. The police said that additional forces had been rushed to the area for nabbing or eliminating the killers. Those kidnapped passengers were identified as Sudesh Kumar, and his brother Ashok Kumar, Bhushan Lal, Romesh Kumar, Roshan Lal and Prakash.

Romesh Kumar is reportedly an employee of Food and Supplies Department.

This gruesome incident came within 24 hours of the massacre of five truckers on the Jammu-Srinagar highway near Ramban.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah and the Governor, Mr G.C. Saxena, while condemning the massacre said that it was part of plan of the militants to wreck the peace process. They appealed to the people to maintain cool and foil the nefarious gameplan of the enemy.

Various political parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the National Conference have condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the militants.

PTI adds: Meanwhile two militants and a special police officer (SPO) were killed, while two policemen and a taxi driver were arrested following seizure of arms and ammunition from their vehicle during a routine check, in Kashmir since last night.

Two unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Bandipora area of Baramulla district last night, an official spokesman said here today.