Violence in Kashmir down 25 percent: police

SRINAGAR: Violence in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, wracked by an insurgency for the last 20 years, was down 25 percent this year, the area's police chief said on Wednesday.

In a New Year's message to the people of Indian Kashmir, Kuldeep Khuda said the number of violent incidents had fallen dramatically from 2008 levels, confirming a trend that has led to signs of normal life returning in the area.

"The graph of terror violence in the state is rapidly coming down year after year," said Khuda, director general of police in the Jammu and Kashmir region.

The violence that has afflicted Kashmir for the last two decades started to ease off after nuclear armed neighbours India and Pakistan, which have rival claims to the disputed area, launched a peace process in January 2004.

Indian officials also attribute the drop to the fencing off of the border between the two countries and what they say are more effective counter-insurgency tactics.

This New Year's Eve, locals are set to enjoy some of the first major celebrations since the insurgency began.

In a further sign of the waning influence of violent militants, hotels plan to lay on dinners and dances and there will be parties in the region's ski resort of Gulmarg.

Hardline militants frequently targeted cinema halls, video parlours and liquor shops across the region during the height of the insurgency, and even prevented couples from celebrating Valentine's Day.

More than 47,000 people have been killed in Kashmir since 1989 when Islamic militants rose in revolt against New Delhi's rule. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, a charge Islamabad denies.