November 21, 2001	Wednesday	Ramazan 5, 1422

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SRINAGAR, Nov 20: Indian troops claimed killing 17 kashmiri Mujahideen in three encounters on Monday night, while seven civilians were injured in two landmine explosions.

Six Mujahideen were shot by the Indian army and police during an incident late on Monday in the village of Hari, near Surankote town, 500 kilometres south of Srinagar, a police spokesman claimed.

Acting on a tipoff, troops surrounded a hideout and asked the fighters inside to surrender, the spokesman said.

“The militants (freedom fighters) opened fire and tried to escape,” he said, adding this prompted the troops to return fire.

Six members of the Hizbul Mujahideen were killed, the spokesman said.

Elsewhere in held Kashmir, three more Mujahideen were shot dead in Khanetar village, the police spokesman said. He added that two Mujahideen were killed in a clash at Arnia, in occupied Jammu.

In another incident, five Mujahideen and an Indian soldier were killed after a fierce four-hour long gunbattle in the Satganga forests.

Another fighter belonging to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen was shot by Indian troops during another cordon-and-search operation in Rajwar village, Kupwara district.

One soldier was killed and another injured during the fighting.

Four civilians were injured in a landmine explosion at Zandsaran Shiri, near Baramulla town.—AFP