Soldiers and police fired at Muslim protesters demanding an end to Indian rule in Kashmir overnight killing three people.

A BOMB exploded in a bustling town in Indian-controlled Kashmir yesterday, killing 15 people, including the suspected attacker, and injuring at least 60 others, police said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh headed to India’s portion of disputed Kashmir today for the start of a partial troop withdrawal hailed by rival Pakistan as an important step toward easing tensions over the Himalayan region.

India and Pakistan today held their first substantive talks in six years on the disputed Kashmir region – one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints and a key hurdle in their revived peace process.

The most influential and hard-line Islamic party in Indian Kashmir delivered a political shock today when it announced it had severed ties with Muslim rebels and Pakistan.