August 25, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-us-Sani 26

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NEW DELHI, Aug 24: India reported the death of five Pakistani soldiers in what it said was a heavy exchange of fire across the Line of Control on Sunday, as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee braced to visit Srinagar this week.

United News of India, reporting from Jammu, quoted the Indian defence sources as saying that the Pakistani troops were killed in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. It said two civilians were critically injured on the Indian side in the firing.

There was no independent confirmation of the report.

“Pakistani troops fired mortar bombs, targeting civilian and forward defence locations along the LoC in Mankote, Tain, Pathrigali, Langote, Balnoie, Dhargaloon in Krishnagati, Kerni, Balakote, Jangard, Kalsia, Bhawani, Laa and Jallas in Rajouri-Poonch sector since Saturday night,” UNI said.

Indian troops returned the fire. Heavy shelling and firing from across the border were reported from Drass, Batalik, Thang, northern Siachen areas in Jammu and Ladakh, the defence sources told UNI.

It also reported exchange of small arms fire in R.S.Pura and Samba area of Jammu district but said there was no casualty.

The trans-LOC exchanges came as the Indian officials announced that Mr Vajpayee would be opposed to meeting any group in Jammu and Kashmir that wanted to hold talks with him. They must, however, first hold talks with a government interlocutor.

Junior Home Minister I.D. Swami said Mr Vajpayee, due to start his three-day visit from Wednesday, would not “shy away” from meeting anybody.

Mr Swami told Press Trust of India that the government was ready to talk to everybody, even militant outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen provided they shun violence. “The government’s stand remains that it will talk to everyone who shun violence and air their grievances and say what they want in the benefit of Jammu and Kashmir and its people peacefully,” Mr Swami said.