India dismisses US rights report

India has dismissed American criticism that the Indian security forces committed serious human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The comment was made in the annual State Department report on world human rights.

A foreign ministry spokesman in Delhi said the report was an internal exercise of the US government and India does not recognise it.

The report released yesterday mentioned a range of alleged abuses, including extra-judicial killings and torture.

It criticised both security forces and militants in the state of Jammu and Kashmir for the mounting death toll. Last week, India extended its unilateral ceasefire in the state by three months.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service