May 17, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1424

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SRINAGAR, May 16: Five suspected freedom fighters, a policeman and a civilian were killed in three gunbattles in occupied Kashmir, a police spokesman said on Friday.

He said two Kashmiri fighters, a policeman and a civilian were killed in a fierce encounter in the village of Banyali in the southern Poonch district.

An army soldier was injured during the fighting that broke out late on Thursday and ended early on Friday, police said.

“The encounter erupted during a joint cordon-and-search operation by the army and police in the village,” the spokesman said.

Two automatic assault rifles and some documents were later recovered from the scene of encounter, police said.

Indian troops shot dead two more Kashmiris in the Chingus area of neighbouring Rajouri district on Friday, police said.

Both districts border Azad Kashmir. Another Kashmiri fighter was shot dead in the central Budgam district on Friday.

Meanwhile, five civilians were injured in an explosion inside a shop of a blacksmith in the village of Manyali in Poonch overnight, police said.—AFP