Search For Western Hostages And Kashmiri Militants Continues

Indian security forces in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday (July 24) continued their search in the Kashmir Valley for five Western hostages held captive by Kashmiri Moslem militants. Al-Faran, the militant group which claims responsibility for the abductions, said in a statement on Sunday that one of the two hostages injured in an exchange of fire between security forces and militants was in a serious condition. Official sources in the state's summer capital Srinagar, however, maintained that there was absolutely no truth in the militants' claim that Indian security forces had wounded the two Westerners in their attempt to free the hostages. Al-Faran's statement did not give the name or nationality of the hostage it said was seriously wounded. Meanwhile, Indian officials on Monday reiterated their appeal to the militants to release the hostages on humanitarian grounds so that appropriate medical treatment could be given to any of the hostages who needs it. American Donald Hutchings, Britons, Paul Wells and Keith Mangan, German Dirk Hasert and Norwegian Hans Ostro were abducted from near Pahalgam, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) from Srinagar in three separate incidents. Al-Faran has threatened to kill the hostages if India did not free 21 guerrillas in exchange for the hostages. Meanwhile, the state government has stepped up security on the route of an annual Hindu pilgrimage to Amarnath shrine high in the Himalayas. The long trek for the cave shrine is to start from Pahalgam from August 6. The pro-Pakistan Moslem militant group Harkat-ul-Ansar has banned the pilgrimage and threatened people in Pahalgam with death if they helped the pilgrims. Following the threats, shopkeepers have downed their shutters fearing reprisal from the militants. Pahalgam's Superintendent of Police, Mohammad Shah Amin, said on Monday that the government has made all arrangements for the safe passage of the pilgrims. Kashmiri militants have been waging a five-year-old war in Jammu and Kashmir, mainly Hindu India's only Moslem majority state.

Date: 24/07/1995

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• INDIASEARCHFORWESTE
• Film