The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has expressed concern over the brutal killing of eight labourers in the Indian city of Kashmir – seven of them are said to be of Nepali origin – by unidentified gunmen on Monday.

“The MoFA is concerned about the incident and is in regular contact with the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi which is keeping contact with Indian intelligence agencies,” MoFA spokesperson Yadav Khanal told Nepalnews Tuesday. He added that intelligence authorities were the most reliable source of information in circumstances like these.

According to Khanal, the Embassy has so far been informed by Indian authorities that six people of ‘Nepali origin’ – out of eight – were killed in the attack yesterday in Anantnag district Monday afternoon. “It is yet not known whether they were Nepali nationals,” he added.

Quoting Indian government officials, Hindu, an English daily published form Delhi, said the gunmen segregated the Kashmiri labourers, lined up the non-Kashmiri labourers and fired on them from point blank range. While six died on the spot while others died while undergoing treatment.

Five others were injured in the incident.