September 21, 2003	Sunday	Rajab 23, 1424

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SRINAGAR, Sept 20: Twelve Mujahideen, two Indian soldiers and three civilians were killed on Saturday in violence in occupied Kashmir, including an army raid on a meeting of top freedom fighters, defence sources said.

The Indian army acting on a tip-off surrounded a freedom fighters hideout in Wahbugh village of Pulwama district, defence sources said.

The Mujahideen opened fire as the army closed in. Six Mujahideen were killed and three soldiers sustained injuries, a defence source said.

A spokesman for the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen said its district commander and another district commander of the hardline Jaish-i-Mohammad were among the activists killed.

In an encounter in southern Kashmir, three Mujahideen and two Indian soldiers were killed in the Bhimber Gali area of Rajouri, 190 kilometres west of Jammu, army spokesman Colonel Bhanwar Rathore said.

He said the fighting erupted during a search operation by the Indian army in the area, which lies close to Azad Kashmir.

Indian troops shot dead three more freedom fighters in the northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla, police said on Saturday.

Police said Kashmiris shot dead three civilians in the southern districts of Pulwama and Anantnag late on Friday.—AFP