Kashmir talks 'may resume soon'

Talks broke down two weeks ago

The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister says talks between the India and the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group will resume soon.

Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah says the proposed talks would be held secretly.

Peace talks between the Indian Government and the Hizbul Mujahideen - one of the oldest Kashmiri separatist groups - broke down two weeks ago.

Talks would be held secretly without the knowledge of the media

J&K Government statement

They collapsed when India refused to agree to Hizbul Mujahideen's demand that Pakistan should be involved in the talks.

Now Mr Abdullah says the ground has been prepared for "restarting the derailed peace process".

"The chief minister said that going by the past experience, this time talks would be held secretly without the knowledge of the media," a Jammu and Kashmir government statement said.

But Mr Abdullah did not say how it had been made possible to resume the peace talks.

The Hizbul Mujahideen has offered to renew the ceasefire if India agrees to tripartite talks including Pakistan.

Security has been stepped up

The BBC correspondent in Srinagar, Altaf Hussein, says neither side appears to have shifted their stance.

A spokesman for the Hizbul recently dismissed a statement from Mr Abdullah saying that the government was in touch with a section of the group.

Rocket attack

Suspected militants in Indian-administered Kashmir have killed three Indian soldiers and injured 15 others in a rocket attack on an army camp.

Five of those critically injured have been rushed to a command hospital in the northern district of Udhampur, and the rest were taken to a local hospital.

The attack took place at an army transit camp in Banihal, on the main highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar.

"They had positioned themselves on the mountains overlooking the national highway," Major General PPS Bindra is reported as saying.

Security forces have now cordoned off the area and a search operation is under way.

There has been an increase in violence in Kashmir ever since the Hizbul called off its ceasefire.