May 29, 2002	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 16,1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, May 28: Two people were killed and at least eight others, including two women, were injured as Indian troops shelled different areas of Azad Kashmir on Tuesday, police and administration officials said.

Shelling in the Samahni sector in the southernmost Bhimbher district began at 7am, during which the Samahni town and other villages were targeted by the Indian troops using long-range weapons, they said.

Two people, Mohammad Iqbal, son of Sardar Ali and Mohammad Asif, son of Mohammad Fazil were killed, and five others, Ghulam Hussain and his wife Sakina Bibi, Mohammad Sharif, Mohammad Sadiq and Mohammad Zaman, were injured there.

A mosque was damaged after being hit by a shell in Samahni town, officials said, adding another shell landed in the hospital premises; fortunately no one was hurt.

An official from Bhimbher told Dawn that shelling had also disrupted power supply and consequently the telecommunication links with Samahni, causing difficulties to the administration in gathering information on the losses in the area.

In Kotli district, heavy shelling started at 8am in Khuiratta and Charoi sectors, and according to officials, three persons, Shahid, Zubaida Begum (70), and Ibrar (35) were injured in the jurisdiction of Khuiratta police station. They were admitted to DHQ hospital, Kotli. A girls high school and at least five houses, were also damaged by the shelling, officials said.