The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Thursday, June 13, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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Pak officer dead in border firing
Tribune News Service and agencies

Jammu, June 12
While two civilians were wounded in heavy Pakistani shelling at Seeri village in the Laam area of Rajouri, Pakistan lost three of its soldiers and an officer in the exchange of fire since last evening.

Defence Ministry sources said Pakistani troops resorted to firing and shelling with artillery and mortar guns from across the Siachen, Batalik, Dras, Nowshehra, Hiranagar, R.S. Pora and Samba sectors today.

The police said two civilians were wounded at Seeri village in the Rajouri belt and several structures were partially damaged in more than six villages at Maniyari, Paharpur, Girana (all in Samba sector) and in the R.S. Pora area.

The ministry sources said the Indian troops retaliated and destroyed over half a dozen Pakistani bunkers, killing three Pakistani soldiers and an officer.

The Indian forces retaliated from the Suchetgarh sector, firing more than 10 mortar shells which caused extensive damage to the Pakistani side.

The sources said though the intensity of firing and shelling was lower than witnessed a week ago, tension continued to mount on the border.

About two dozen houses were damaged and several cattle perished in shelling by Pakistani troops from across the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, official sources said here today.

The sources said the Pakistani troops targeted four villages of Bhawani, Ser, Bakhri and Sodi in the Nowshehra sector of Rajouri district yesterday until in which 11 houses were damaged and many cattle killed.

Over a dozen houses were damaged in the Jhallas area of Poonch district in mortar shelling from across the LoC yesterday, the sources said, adding that about 100 persons had migrated to Poonch.

Exchange of mortar shelling also took place last night in the Khora, Manyari, Paharpur and Pansar areas of the Samba sector and the Nawapind and Gharana areas of the R.S. Pora sector in Jammu district last night without any damage or casualty on the Indian side, a BSF spokesman said.

An Indian Jawan was killed and another sustained shrapnel injuries when the Pakistani troops fired mortar shells on frontline Indian positions in the Nowshehra sector.

The sources said this evening that the jawan was killed and another wounded when the Pakistani mortar shells slammed into the Janghar and Bhawani areas last night.

SRINAGAR: Three persons including a militant, were killed while two terrorists were arrested by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir since Tuesday evening.

An official spokesman said bodies of Mohammad Arif and Mohammad Shafi, who were kidnapped by militants a few days ago from their houses, were found at Malhan forest on Tuesday.

He said the security forces smashed two hideouts at Dachnipora and Gulgam forests in north Kashmir and seized three AK rifles, two magazines, 50 rounds, a tear smoke shell, two anti-personnel mines, a solar rocket, seven explosive sticks and 1 kg RDX.

The security forces also arrested a militant of the Tehreek-ul- Mujahideen Mohammad Ashraf at Panthachowk while a guide of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Mushtaq Ahmad, was captured at Banihal along with arms and ammunition.