Cease-fire in Kashmir Could Be Extended: IndiaIndian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said on December 4 that the Ramadan cease-fire he announced last month could be extended if Pakistan cooperates and creates a conducive atmosphere.But, Vajpayee said, the situation depends on the "reality" on the ground and he asked Pakistan to stop what he called "cross-border terrorism, violence" and maintain a friendly posture. Last Saturday, Islamabad also announced a cease-fire along the line of control in the disputed Kashmir and said its forces deployed along the border between the two neighbors would observe maximum restraint. The Indian media reported Monday that there had been a substantial decline in the incidence and intensity of firing along the line of control in Kashmir since Islamabad's announcement. However, the Press Trust of India reported that one Indian soldier was killed and 16 other were injured, seven of whom seriously, when militants blew up their vehicle with an improvised explosive device Monday afternoon in north Kashmir in the second major attack on the Indian army since Vajpayee's declaration of cease-fire. Earlier, on November 28, five Indian soldiers were killed and 10 others injured when their vehicle was blown up by militants. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |