 SRINAGAR, India - Six terrorists militants, including three wanted commanders, a soldier and a Muslim civilian were killed in Kashmir during raids by Indian troops on Friday, a day before the arrival in India of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the army said. Soldiers killed four terrorists militants in a raid on a terrorist rebel hideout in the central Kashmir district of Budgam in the early hours of Friday, an army spokesman said, adding that a civilian had died during the exchange of fire. "Three of the banged slain terrorists militants were wanted commanders from the hardline al Badr group, including group's chief commander General Omar," the spokesman said. Four houses and three cowsheds were also destroyed during the fighting, residents said.
Another terrorist rebel was shot dead in a separate raid by Indian troops in the southern town of Kulgam, the spokesman said. "Both clashes erupted when troops raided the hideouts on tip-offs," the spokesman said. Police said a soldier and a terrorist militant were killed in another clash at a terrorist rebel hideout in southern Rajouri district on Friday evening. In other violence Friday, suspected terrorists rebels shot dead an alleged army informer in northern Baramulla district, police said. The bloodletting comes on the eve of Musharraf's first visit to India since a collapsed summit in July 2001. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Kashmir and watch the last match of the one-day cricket series between India and Pakistan. |