Three Kashmiri Muslims were dragged out of their homes and beheaded amid rising civilian deaths in the insurgency-hit region, police said Wednesday. The attackers stormed into the village of Mara Doria in the Rajouri region, 180 kilometers (110 miles) northwest of Jammu, the winter capital of India's northern Jammu-Kashmir state, according to the duty officer at the Rajouri police station. Kalu Din, 25, and Mishri Gujjar, 35, were taken from their homes to a nearby forest and beheaded, he said. In the adjoining Fabri Dhok village, the attackers took Ghulam Shah, 50, and also decapitated him, the officer said on customary condition of anonymity. According to state police officials, rebels have killed 501 civilians _ including 54 women and 27 children _ between January and August this year. Many were killed for refusing to provide the rebels shelter, or because the guerrillas believed they were police informers, Inspector-General K. Rajindra said in a statement last month.
