05 November 2004	Friday	21 Ramazan 1425

SRINAGAR, Nov 4: Thousands of slogan-shouting Muslims on Thursday joined the funeral procession of five militants killed by Indian troops during a mosque siege in the southern part of Indian Kashmir, witnesses said.

Meanwhile, six people were killed in fresh violence, among them a police constable who died during a rebel raid on a bank, police said.

More than 6,000 men, women and children on Thursday gathered in the village of Khilangung in Pulwama district for the funeral of the five militants, who were killed overnight in a clash with Indian troops.

The five were killed hours after they barricaded themselves inside a mosque, police said.

The bodies were laid out Thursday as villagers showered them with petals and sweets, witnesses said.

About a dozen members of two dominant rebel groups, Hizbul Mujahedin and Lashkar-i-Taiba, appeared on the scene, some with weapons, prompting shouts from mourners of "Long live Hizbul, Long live Lashkar".

The slain rebels were members of one or other of the two groups, said police.

Meanwhile, a policeman was killed and four bank employees injured on Thursday when suspected rebels raided a bank near Shopian town, 50km south of Srinagar, police said.

"Casualties occurred when a solo police guard and employees resisted moves by gunmen to loot the bank," a police spokesman said.-AFP