Kashmir blast kills five

Kashmir blast kills five

Indian forces had just left the area

Five civilians have been killed and three others injured in a landmine blast in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Police say the attack took place in the town of Baramullah, some 55 kilometres (35 miles) north of the state's summer capital, Srinagar.

They say the landmine was buried under the snow along a highway linking Baramullah to Srinagar.

Local residents say the explosion took place soon after Indian soldiers had left the area, after searching vehicles and frisking people on the highway.

It is not clear who is behind the attack although reports say police suspect Islamic militants were responsible.

Kashmir talks

The blast comes just a day after the Indian Government appointed a retired bureaucrat to hold talks as part of efforts to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

We hope that the new interlocutor will talk to all shades of opinion

Omar Abdullah
President National Conference

NN Vohra, formerly the top civil servant in the federal home ministry, has been asked to begin a dialogue with members of the state's legislative assembly.

A new reformist government won office after fresh elections in Indian-administered Kashmir last year.

Mainstream political parties in the state have welcomed Mr Vohra's appointment, with Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed saying it represented "a golden opportunity".

The leader of the opposition National Conference, a party that has dominated Kashmir politics since Indian independence, also backed the move.

"We hope that the new interlocutor will talk to all shades of opinion, and not just confine himself to mainstream political parties," said Omar Abdullah.

India has long stated that Kashmir is its internal problem and that it was willing to speak to elected representatives of the Kashmiri people.

But this is a view challenged by Pakistan, which says it is a party to the dispute and must be included in any peace dialogue.