Grenade Wounds 5 in Indian Kashmir as PM Holds Peace Talks
24 May 2006
At least five people have been wounded in a grenade attack in Indian Kashmir's summer capital during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Police say three civilians and two soldiers were wounded in the attack in a Srinigar neighborhood Wednesday. The Associated Press says the attack happened about 15 kilometers from where Mr. Singh is holding talks aimed at ending a separatist insurgency.
The Indian leader had hoped to bring pro-India Kashmiris and separatist Islamist leaders to the same negotiating table, but moderate Kashmiri separatists are boycotting the discussions.
Srinigar has virtually shut down for the talks. Hundreds of troops are patrolling the city, checking people and vehicles for security threats.
A suicide car bomber rammed a paramilitary vehicle on Tuesday, despite heightened patrols, killing a soldier and wounding at least 19 people.
The talks are Mr. Singh's second effort this year to widen the dialogue process in Kashmir, where tens of thousands of people have been killed in an Islamist insurgency against Indian rule since 1989.
India and Pakistan both hold part of Kashmir, but lay claim to the entire Himalayan region. Militants have been fighting for Kashmir's independence or its merger with Pakistan for almost two decades.
The chairman of the umbrella alliance the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, which rejected an invitation to join the peace talks, says he believes the discussions cannot produce a permanent settlement of the Kashmir problem.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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