Nepal in shock as 12 hostages killed in Iraq

Hundreds of Nepalese went to the streets in Nepal's capital Wednesday morning and late Tuesday night to condemn the killing of 12 innocent Nepalese people in Iraq .

The Nepalese people, mostly youngsters, held protest rallies inthe main streets of Kathmandu. They burnt tyres, blocked roads and were infuriated over the killing of the innocent Nepalese workers.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against the killing, terming it a despicable terrorist act. And they demanded to compensate for the victims' families.

"This barbarian act of terrorism to kill innocent civilians without asking for any conditions for their release is against the minimum behavior of human civilizations," Sunil Manandhar told Xinhua while marching in the street.

Meanwhile, the Nepali government also strongly condemned the killing in a press release issued after a special cabinet meeting held Tuesday night.

"The government is stunned and grieved on hearing of the brutal murder of the Nepalese youths held hostage by terrorists in Iraq since Aug. 20," the press release said.

The government had been making continuous effort to secure the release of the 12 youths from the day they were taken hostage and efforts were made also through media, but the terrorists did not put forth any demand or condition for their release, nor heeded the voice of humanity and killed them brutally, it added.

A dozen Nepalese workers were taken hostage in Iraq by a group of Heroic Mujahedeen (Islamic fighters) on the night of Aug. 19-20,accusing them of assisting the US troops in Iraq.

The killing of the 12 Nepalese nationals was posted in an Islamic website Tuesday afternoon and was later confirmed by the Nepali Foreign Ministry.

Source: Xinhua