Asia home page | Asia Breaking News

Visit our special sections for latest developments and analysis:

Top Kashmiri separatist dies in Srinagar shootout

A leading separatist figure has been shot dead in the troubled Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdul Ghani Lone was a prominent member of the main separatist alliance in Kashmir, the All Party Hurriyat Conference.

The 70-year-old was killed in a shootout at a rally in the Kashmiri summer capital, Srinagar.

As Simi Chakrabarti reports, the attack comes amid fears of renewed conflict with neighbouring Pakistan and a visit to the territory by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

In Washington .. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says he hopes the sending of a senior official to the region in the next few weeks will help ease tensions.

Mr Boucher says the Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, will visit the capitals of both India and Pakistan on his tour.

Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Ghani Lone was attacked by two unidentified gunmen at the rally, who also killed one of his security guards and threw hand grenades at the gathering. Lone was seen as one of the most moderate separatist voices in Indian administered Kashmir, in favour of holding talks with the Indian government to find a political solution to the disputed territory. The killing comes as cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan continue to rise after a militant attack in Indian Kashmir last week, which killed 35 people. India has blamed Pakistan for that attack.

"The surest way to lower tensions and resolve disputes between the neighbours is through more dialogue between them not less. That makes it important to keep their channels of direct communication open."

22/05/2002 10:10:56 | ABC Radio Australia News

More Asia Breaking News 27/05/2002 15:04:13 Divers search for flight recorders from Taiwan aircrash 27/05/2002 13:47:24 India says Pakistan missile tests are just antics 27/05/2002 10:04:58 China Air flight recorders to be recovered 27/05/2002 07:31:54 India and Indonesia to look for gas in Iraq 27/05/2002 04:01:13 Pakistan President to address the nation tomorrow 27/05/2002 03:16:01 China Air plan breaks into four pieces in mid air before crash

Back

Related Stories

22/05/2002 11:31:05
US condemns killing of top Kashmiri separatist leader

22/05/2002 04:00:23
Indian PM offers condolences over killing of Kashmir separatist leader

21/05/2002 23:50:29
Heavy shelling accross the Kashmir border

21/05/2002 07:07:15
Outbreak of malaria India claims 5-thousand

Related Sites

World News from Radio Australia
News across Asia, the Pacific and beyond.