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Islamic Militants Kill Scores in Kashmir
Guerrilla attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir have claimed the lives of nearly 100 people in a 24-hour period.
The attacks came as the Indian government began the first round of peace talks with a prominent Kashmiri separatist group, Hizbul Mujahideen, in hopes of ending more than a decade of strife in the disputed Himalayan region that has left more than 30,000 dead.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee blamed Pakistan-backed guerrilla groups for the attacks, but representatives for such groups denied this, and Islamabad condemned the killings.
The majority of the people in the Kashmir Valley are Muslims and separatist groups have been waging a violent campaign for a separate state for the past decade.
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir,which they both claim in its entirety. Two-thirds of Kashmir is controlled by India and the rest is controlled by Pakistan.
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