JAMMU. India, May 4: Muslim separatists opposed to Indian-sponsored elections gunned down three Hindus and abducted 1 1 others from a remote village in strife-torn Kashmir, officials said today, reports AFP.

A group Of gunmen raided the Sudhmahadev village some 130 kilometres (81 miles) from here late Friday, ordered the three victims out of their houses and opened fire after lining them up against a wall.

The militants kidnapped 11 other Hindu residents of the hamlet, in Udhampur.district, and took away 14.303 rifles belonging to the villagers that had been issued to them for protection against Muslim separatists.

The rebels set fire to 20 houses belonging to Hindus who form India's majority community but who are a minority in Kashmir.

■ An official spokesman said in this winter capital of Kashmir. India's only Muslim-majority state, that the three slain men were members of the local village "Self-Defence Committee."

Before escaping, .the militants pasted a poster on a wall threatening more killings if the predominantly Hindu villagers voted in Indian general elections being held in Kashmir for the first time since 1989.

'The killings and kidnappings were meant to frighten the locals from voting.' the spokesman said. ’It was clearly tne work of Muslim, militants who want to sabotage the election process."

No one claimed responsibility fbr the attack, But officials said it was carried out by either the Harkat ul-Ansar or Hizb ul-Mujahideen.

Another report from Srina-

(|ar says: Four Western hos-ages taken by Muslim guerillas have been sighted in South Kashmir as (heir abduction entered the 11th month Indian Army and intelligence, sources said today.

The hostages are safe and unharmed and being moved from hideout to hioeout by their abductors within a radius of 25 kilometres (15 miles) around the southern Kashmiri town of Anantnag. Brigadier P. P. S. Bhlndra said.

Anantnag. reputed to be a Muslim militant bastion, is located 80 kilometres (48 miles) south ‘of Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir.

"Our aim Is to know the movement of the hostages and their kidnappers so that we keep our troops away from them to avoid direct confrontation for the safety of the Western hostages." said Bhln-