Militant attacks defy Kashmir diplomacy

Attacks continue despite massive security

Eight Indian soldiers and five suspected militants were among 20 people killed in a number of separate incidents in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday.

We cannot withdraw our forces till elections in Jammu and Kashmir are over

Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes

The attacks came as Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes said that Indian forces would stay deployed along the Pakistani borders until elections in Indian-administered Kashmir in the autumn.

Mr Fernandes said that some militants were still crossing the Line-of-Control (LoC) dividing the disputed region despite assurances from Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf that incursions had been halted.

India and Pakistan have recently taken tentative steps to reduce tensions, and the United States and Britain have eased travel restrictions on their nationals in the region.

But correspondents say the latest clashes have shown that tensions may not be easing as much as had been thought over the last two weeks.

Series of attacks

Officials say a newly-formed militant group calling itself the Al-Madina Regiment has claimed responsibility for attacking a police patrol in the state capital Srinagar, in which two officers were killed and several others inured.

Earlier, three soldiers were killed when an army truck was destroyed with a mine planted by militants from the Hizb-ul Mujahideen separatist group near Pahalgam, south of Srinagar.

Tensions are still running high

Suspected militants also launched a grenade attack on an armed police patrol at a crowded market in Anantnag, 35 miles south of Srinagar, wounding four policemen and 22 civilians.

In another incident in southern Kashmir, security forces killed three suspected militants, hours after shooting another suspect dead in an overnight gun battle. Several other clashes too have been reported.

The attacks follow Indian complaints that despite President Musharraf's pledge to end the movement of militants from across the LoC, infiltration continues.

Mr Fernandes, visiting the state of Gujarat, told journalists some infiltration was still going on and Indian troops would remain deployed until October.

"We cannot withdraw our forces till elections in Jammu and Kashmir are over, and after that it depends on the situation," he said.

Election challenge

His comments follow similar views expressed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in a recent interview.

Forces will remain in place until state elections

The elections in Indian-administered Kashmir must be held by mid-October.

Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah recently handed over the leadership of the ruling National Conference to his son, Omer Abdullah, a minister in Mr Vajpayee's government.

He is expected to hand over the job of chief minister to his son before the election campaign begins, and thereby effect the transfer of power to a leadership trusted by Delhi.

The separatist All-party Hurriyat Conference umbrella group has, meanwhile, rejected the elections and urged Kashmiris to boycott it.

The combination of these contrary trends, analysts suggest, could sabotage efforts to ease tensions and restore normalcy.