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Six Pak. soldiers killed

JAMMU JUNE 3. At least six Pakistani soldiers were killed and several of their bunkers destroyed when Indian troops opened retaliatory artillery fire on Pakistani positions across the Line of Control in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district this morning.

Defence sources said the Pakistani troops from the 10 Corps opened heavy and unprovoked fire on the frontline Indian positions at around 7.30 a.m. on the forward Indian Border Outposts in the Mendhar sector, targeting military installations and civilian areas. Indian soldiers retaliated, targeting Pakistani formations, and the showdown continued for the next one hour, the sources said.

The Pakistanis then opened fire from 105 mm field guns and began to pound Indian formations. In the cross-border mortar duel, at least six Pakistani soldiers were killed and several bunkers destroyed. Late last night, forces were locked in heavy firing at Jhangar, Laam, Bhawani and Kalaal areas of Nowshera sector. Elsewhere along the International Border, the two Armies exchanged fire from medium calibre weaponries.

Doordarshan crew hit

Shakeel Ahmed Wani, a member of the Doordarshan camera team, was injured in the Pakistani shelling in Kupwara sector in north Kashmir, information received by the local Doordarshan in Srinagar said. He was rushed to a hospital. Mr. Wani and other members of the team had gone to the frontier district of Kupwara to cover the border shelling when they came under heavy firing on the LoC in Teetwal sector.

Meanwhile, three top militants, including a self-styled "district commander" of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad were killed in separate gunbattles with the security forces.

The personnel of the Border Security Force gunned down Riyaz Ahmad Siddiqui alias Abdullah Bhai of JeM, an ``A'' grade militant carrying a reward of Rs. 2 lakhs on his head, in an encounter at village Panju-Tral in Pulwama district in south Kashmir this morning. A BSF spokesman said Abdullah Bhai was responsible for organising groups and training them in Pakistan.

Black-out in PoK

Air-raid sirens were sounded and a power black-out was imposed in the ``sensitive areas'' of Pakistan-ocuupied Kashmir overnight as officials braced for an air attack by India, a report from Muzaffarabad quoted officials as saying.

The second power shut-down in 48 hours lasted from well before midnight until early today morning over the entire district of Muzaffarabad. The black-out was ordered because there was a ``serious threat'' of an airborne attack from India.

Official sources said the power was switched off from the national grid station in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. — PTI, UNI, AFP

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