PESHAWAR: Two Kalash shepherds were killed in a predawn cross-border attack in a remote summer pasture of the Bumboret valley in the northern Chitral district on Friday.

Police and local people told Dawn from Chitral that the incident took place early on Friday when a group of attackers who had crossed over from the Afghan side opened fire on a band of four Kalash shepherds.

Bumboret is among three valleys in southern part of Chitral district where endangered tinyKalash minority numbering around 3,000 lives. The area where the attack took place is situated close to Nuristan province in Afghanistan and about four-hour walking distance from the Bumboret valley.

A local police officer said that two shepherds were killed, while the other two managed to escape and made it back to the valley. One of them is said to be injured with broken legs and arms.

The slain shepherds were identified as Khush Wali and Noor Ahmed, who belonged to Akal village of the Bumboret valley. A large number of localsand police brought the dead bodies to the village late in the afternoon.

Police officials in Bumboret and Chitral said that the attackers also managed to take away over 300 goats from the shepherds.

The police officer said that the shepherds first engaged the militants with arms; however, they were quickly overrun after their stock of ammunition finished.

However, a Kalash local requesting anonymity said that the attackers had stolen goats from at least five cattle pens and the number of animalscould not be ascertained at this moment.

He said that over the past few days there were reports of an incursion by a band of militants from across the border and possible attack.

`The reports said that attackers numbered around 30 and were armed with rocket launchers and other weapons,` he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Chitral Osama Ahmed Warriach, when approached for comments, confirmed the incident. He said the area where the incident had occurred was very remote and very close to the Pak-Afghan border.