India bans Kashmir long-distance calls

The authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have suspended long-distance national and international call facilities from public phone offices.

It is thought the move is intended to hamper communications between separatist militants in the disputed territory.

A senior official from the state-owned telecoms firm, BSNL, said long-distance phone connections for individual subscribers, organisations and offices would be unaffected.

There were also reports that internet services had been withdrawn, but officials said this was the result of a technical fault.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service