India frees Kashmir separatist

Mr Malik was held under anti-terrorism laws

A leading separatist in Indian-administered Kashmir has been freed after eight months in prison.

Yasin Malik, regarded as a key figure in the main Kashmiri separatist alliance, was taken from Jammu to his home in Srinagar on Monday.

Yasin Malik was just released - he is at his home now

JKLF spokesman

He is reported to be among a number of political prisoners being released as part of the new state government's efforts to bring peace to Kashmir.

Mr Malik, the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, was jailed in March under controversial anti-terrorism laws.

He denied charges of handling illegal funds to finance militancy, and his supporters said his detention was politically-motivated.

Peace hopes

Moves to release the former militant come just over a week after the newly-elected state chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was sworn in.

He came to power promising to tackle human rights abuses and to end militancy.

Mufti Sayeed wants to resolve the conflict

BBC correspondent Jill McGivering in Delhi says Mr Malik's dramatic release could be early evidence of those pledges being fulfilled.

Yasin Malik, 36, is one of the most popular Kashmiri political leaders, particularly among young people.

His JKLF, which declared a unilateral ceasefire in 1994, is one of the state's oldest separatist organisations.

It wants independence for Kashmir from both India and Pakistan, who have fought two of their three wars over the territory since independence.

Violence

Meanwhile, seven policemen were killed when their bus went over a landmine in Doda district, south-east of Srinagar, on Monday.

Five others were wounded in the attack - the most serious against the security forces since the new government took power.

Later in the day, a senior activist of the powerful National Conference party was shot dead by suspected militants in old Srinagar.