1991 Punjab killings
| 1991 Punjab killings | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ludhiana district, Punjab, India |
| Date | 15 June 1991 |
| Target | Hindus |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Deaths | 80-126 |
| Perpetrators | Khalistani militants |
| Motive | Sikh Separatism, Persecution of Hindus |
30°52′59″N 75°51′00″E / 30.883°N 75.85°E The 1991 Punjab killings was a killing of train passengers that occurred on 15 June 1991 in the Ludhiana district of the Indian State of Punjab, where Khalistani militants killed at least 80 to 126 Hindu passengers[1] travelling in two trains.
Events[edit]
June 1991[edit]
The militants stopped the two trains about a kilometre from Ludhiana station by pulling the emergency cords, triggering emergency brakes. They proceeded to open fire inside the trains at around 9:35 p.m. (IST), killing at least 80 passengers.[2] After the attackers fled, the train moved back to Badduwal station, where the rescue team arrived with doctors. Local villagers helped the survivors with food, water, medicine, and mental support.[3] The attacks came less than five hours after polling closed in a national election already marred by violence and interrupted by the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi around a month prior.[3]
December 1991[edit]
On 27 December, four men, believed to have been Khalistani, boarded a local passenger train travelling from Ludhiana to Ferozepur at Ludhiana. They pulled the emergency cord about 7:30 in the evening near a village called Sohian. Six other armed militants climbed aboard the train at the Sohian crossing. The militants shot at passengers who appeared to be Hindu using AK-47s. All but two of the 49 victims were Hindus. After the massacre, the gunmen left the train and disappeared into the night.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ "Sikhs attack India trains, killing 126". Chicago Sun-Times. 17 June 1991. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ "110 in two trains gunned down by Punjab militants". The Indian Express. 16 June 1991. p. 1. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ a b Crossette, Barbara (16 June 1991). "Extremists in India Kill 80 on 2 Trains As Voting Nears End". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ Gargan, Edward A. (27 December 1991). "49 Slain by Gunmen on Train in India". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
External links[edit]
- "74 were killed in Punjab train carnage". The Indian Express. 17 June 1991. p. 5. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
See also[edit]
- 1987 Punjab killings
- List of Victims of Terrorism in Indian Punjab
- List of bus killings during Punjab insurgency
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