Six die in hotel siege as tension over Kashmir bubbles up again

At least six people died yesterday during a day-long siege in Indian-controlled Kashmir in which Indian forces fired rockets and mortar shells into a hotel.

At least six people died yesterday during a day-long siege in Indian-controlled Kashmir in which Indian forces fired rockets and mortar shells into a hotel.

Indian security officials said the battle began after three or four Islamic separatists opened fire at a market, then burst into the hotel, hurling grenades out of the window.

But doubts appeared to surround that version of events. When Indian security forces stormed the building they found only one dead militant and the bodies of three hostages, a senior police officer said. Whether other militants had escaped was initially unclear.

Earlier, terrified residents sought cover as Indian soldiers fired mortar shells and rockets into the hotel – in the town of Poonch, 135 miles north-west of Jammu – in an effort to break the siege.

Indian officials said that, at one stage, the battle was so ferocious that medical staff were unable to reach three badly injured Indian policemen who lay bleeding on the pavement. They said later that two policemen were killed, apparently after being shot at the market. At least 15 people were wounded.

The incident is another downward step in the steadily deteriorating position in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, which is once again setting Pakistan and India at each others throats – at a time of global insecurity because of the continuing tension over the Iraq crisis. The diplomatic deadlock over Iraq has contributed to tensions in India and Kashmir, which has already been increased by tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions, daily violence in Kashmir and a fresh bout of bellicose rhetoric from the nuclear-armed neighbours.

There are concerns in Pakistan that its claims over Kashmir will suffer if it refuses to bend to American pressure and cast its Security Council vote for a UN resolution mandating war. Equally, the Indians fear that the United States will take a softer line with Pakistan – which Delhi accuses of sponsoring cross-border attacks – as a reward for the crucial "yes" vote.

Bloodshed has resumed after a brief glimmer of optimism that came after the installation of a new government in last year's state elections in Indian-administered Kashmir – as well as a troop pullback.

Yesterday, Indian security officials claimed five Muslim guerrillas were killed in two separate encounters with their forces. A day earlier, four Indian soldiers were killed as both sides traded artillery fire for four hours across the Line of Control, the ceasefire line dividing Indian and Pakistani Kashmir. It coincides with a general wave of security jitters in India after 11 people, mostly women, were killed by a bomb on a train in Bombay.

Police in Delhi claimed to have defused six bombs at the capital's main railway station yesterday. Last night, the police in Delhi and Bombay were on high alert.