July 13, 2002	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 2, 1423

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JAMMU, July 12: Indian troops on Friday shot dead seven Mujahideen in occupied Kashmir, a defence spokesman said.

The gunbattle took place when security personnel cordoned off an area in a forest in the border district of Poonch in southern Kashmir, 210km west of Jammu.

A group of Mujahideen who were hiding in the cordoned area fired on the Indian troops and when the personnel returned the fire, seven freedom fighters were killed, the spokesman said.

“We are not sure whether this was a group that was infiltrating into occupied Kashmir or whether they were just hiding in the forest area,” the spokesman said.

“When the operation is complete, the identity of the dead men can be established,” he added.

JKLF LEADER HELD: Police detained a senior pro-independence leader on Friday in occupied Kashmir to stop him from leading an anti-government demonstration, witnesses said.

Javed Mir, acting chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), was picked up minutes after he came out of a mosque to lead a protest demonstration in the Miasuma area of Srinagar, witnesses said.

Mir was dragged into a waiting police vehicle and whisked away to a nearby police station.

A handful of Mir’s supporters who were raising anti- government slogans were chased away by baton-wielding policemen.— AFP