M A I N   N E W S

Two Pak troops killed in firing
Shabir Shah under house arrest

Srinagar, November 6
Two Pakistani soldiers and an Indian soldier were killed and another was injured in an overnight exchange of fire in North Kashmir, defence sources said here today.

The sources said the Pakistani army fired mortars, RPG rockets and heavy calibre small arms from the Karachi post in the Lipa valley sector on Indian positions in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara last evening, killing one soldier and injuring another.

In response to the unprovoked firing, the Indian Army retaliated using small arms and crew service weapons on Pakistani posts of Lari in the Hajipir sector and the Karachi post, killing two Pakistani soldiers, the sources said.

Meanwhile, two Hizb-ul Mujahideen militants were among three persons killed in separate incidents in the valley, where three ultras were arrested and a huge cache of arms and ammunition seized from them, a police spokesman said today.

He said the militants identified as Ubaid Rashid and Javid Ahmad Ganai were killed in an encounter with Rashtriya Rifles troops at Hajipora village in Anantnag district last night. Two AK assault rifles, four magazines and 50 rounds of ammunition were seized from them, he said.

Residents of Omoh village observed a shutdown in protest against the “killing” of a youth whose body was recovered from Ujroo in Anantnag district today. The villagers alleged that the victim was arrested by the security forces and killed during interrogation.

The BSF arrested two Al-Fateh militants from the Nowpora area of Bandipora in Baramula district today, the spokesman said.

The slain militants had been identified as Mushtaq Khan of Nowpora village and Nazir Ahmad Kumar of Arin.

The Army also arrested a militant, Qamar-ud-Din from Warsun forest in North Kashmir.

Meanwhile Shabir Ahmad Shah, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), was put under house arrest while five of his party leaders were arrested today.

A DFP spokesman said Shah, who was scheduled to lead a procession to the United Nations Military Observers (UNMO) office at Sonawar, was not allowed to leave his house by the security forces deployed there in large numbers since last night.

Later, the police arrested Saleem Geelani, Abdul Rashid Tari, Bashir Ahmad Wani and two others. The spokesman said Shah was scheduled to present a memorandum to the UNMO office, demanding halt of US action against Afghanistan during Ramzan. PTI, UNI

India denies firing across LoC

New Delhi, November 6
India today denied that its troops were firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Neelam Valley sector of Jammu and Kashmir targeting civilians.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said Indian Army units along the border had strict instructions to open fire only when fired upon.

He said though routine exchanges took place daily, only small arms were used.

The spokesman said it was only Pakistani troops which used heavy weapons normally to provide covering fire to push in mercenaries.

Earlier, in Islamabad chief military spokesman Major Gen Rashid Qureshi accused Indian troops of opening mortar barrage killing one civilian and injuring some others. PTI