Kashmir peace hopes raised

More than 30,000 people have been killed in Kashmir

A Kashmiri militant leader says peace talks with the Indian Government could resume in two months.

The leader, Abdul Majid Dar, belongs to the Hizbul Mujahideen, which withdrew a ceasefire offer earlier this month.

It led to the breakdown of a nascent peace process which had raised hopes of an end to the decade-long conflict in Kashmir.

Efforts at an international level to break the deadlock

Abdul Majid Dar

Following the collapse of peace talks there was an increase in violence in Indian-administered Kashmir. Five Indian soldiers, including two senior officers, were killed in a landmine attack on Monday.

The Hizbul Mujahideen broke off peace talks over a refusal by India to include Pakistan in tripartite talks.

Speaking to a local news agency in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, Abdul Majid Dar endorsed the move to include Pakistan in the dialogue.

Abdul Majid Dar: No split in Hizbul ranks

The BBC's Srinagar correspondent, Altaf Hussein, says Mr Dar blamed "vested interests" for the breakdown of peace talks but stopped short of identifying them.

"I hope that the ceasefire will take place in the next two months because of the efforts at an international level to break the deadlock," Mr Dar said.

No secrecy

On Monday, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Farooq Abdullah, also said talks between the Hizbul and India would resume soon, and would be held in secret.

Whenever talks... take place they will be open and the media will be aware of it

Abdul Majid Dar

But Mr Dar refuted this.

"We believe in transparency, and whenever talks will take place they will be open and the media will be aware of it," he said.

The BBC's Jill McGivering in Delhi says analysts have been divided over what is really happening behind the scenes.

Many are puzzled that the Indian Government and the Hizbul announced a ceasefire so publically when key issues had apparently not been resolved.

Some have even suggested a split within the ranks of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

But this has been denied by Mr Dar who said he was in daily contact with the group's leaders in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

"There are no differences among the Hizbul leadership," he added.

More than 30,000 people have been killed in the decade-long violence in the troubled region.