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Mujahideen kill 3 Indian troops in Srinagar

SRINAGAR (Occupied): Security forces fired their guns into the air, burned cars and beat people with sticks and rifle butts in central Srinagar on Wednesday after Mujahideen shot dead three officers in the capital

The violence began about 2 p.m (0830 GMT) in the main business centre when unidentified gunmen shot dead two memebrs of the border security force in the busy central market area called Lal Chowk.

The two victims fell dead in their own blood. Reinforcements moved in quickly, hitting people with rifle butts and sticks and firing guns into the air.

It could not immediately be determined whether anyone was hit by the falling bullets.

At about the same time, a Kashmir state policeman was shot dead across a bridge from the market. Kashmir policemen moved in and began beating people and BSF officers set several cars on fire.

About 5,000 people fled their shops and homes along for streets in the central area and tried to get to other parts of town. But many men and women were pulled out of restaurants, shops or houses, and made to sit in the street while they were taken away individually for identification and questioning.

The confrontation in the busiest part of Srinagar reflected the increasing boldness of attacks on Indian security forces from Mujahideen seeking Kashmir's separation from India. AFP