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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Geelani and Mir arrested in Srinagar |
| 2004-08-21 |
| Indian troops shot dead two suspected militants who the officials claimed had infiltrated into held Kashmir from the Pakistan-controlled zone on Friday. Meanwhile, police arrested 14 Kashmiri separatists, including two key leaders, to prevent them from attending a memorial service for a 'rebel commander' who was killed by the Indian forces a day earlier. "The two militants were killed in the Nowgam sector of (northern) Kupwara district in a gunbattle," an army spokesman said. He said the fighting erupted the moment the two were spotted near the line of control. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads the Tehrik-e-Hurriyat-Jammu Kashmir party, was leaving his home in Srinagar to attend the service when he was stopped by the police, party member Shabir Ahmed told the Associated Press. Geelani and six of his party workers were placed under house arrest in Srinagar, he added. Another separatist leader, Javed Ahmed Mir, and six of his supporters were also arrested after they arrived in Anantnag, 60 kilometers south of Srinagar, to attend the service for commander Manzoor-ul-Islam, Mir's colleague Mohammed Tahir said. Mir is a leader with the Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front. India's Border Security Force said it had killed Manzoor, who belonged to the Jamiat-ul Mujahedeen, on Thursday. |
| Posted by:Fred |