Thirteen Dead in Kashmir Shootouts

04/04/2001| IslamWeb

SRINAGAR, Indian-ruled Kashmir: (Islamweb & Agencies) - Fighting between Islamic Resistance men and Indian troops in Kashmir killed 13 people Thursday, three days after a summit with Pakistan ended in discord over the disputed region, police said. (Read photo caption below).
There were several armed confrontations across India's Jammu-Kashmir state, where Resistance groups have been fighting the government since 1989. Eight of the dead Thursday were Resistance men, police said.
India accuses Pakistan of sending guerillas from its territory to wage the insurrection, which has killed at least 60,000 people. Pakistan denies it.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, met last weekend to discuss bilateral issues including the future of Kashmir, a Himalayan valley that was divided between them after British rule of the subcontinent ended in 1947.
The talks - the first between the bitter neighbors in two years - were a failure. The two leaders made no joint final statement, apparently because of differences over Kashmir.
Both countries lay claim to all of Kashmir. The dispute has poisoned relations and resulted in two wars between India and Pakistan, which have both developed nuclear weapons in recent years.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Unidentified activists of Harkatul Mujahideen, whose militants are fighting in Indian-held Kashmir against Indian troops, read news about Pakistan-India peace summit, Wednesday, July 18, 2001 in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-held Kashmir. Militants groups emphasized that they will intensify their activities against India after the peace talks failed. (AP Photo/Roshan Mughal)
- Jul 18 2:33 PM ET