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Hostages will

be killed if

mly action

is launched

SRINAGAR: Al-Faran which has been holding four western tourists hostage in Indian-held Kashmir, has threatened to kill them if any military action was launched to release them.

In a statement here on Friday, Al-Faran said it came to know that Indian authorities were planning to rescue the hostages through a commando action. If any such action was carried out, the hostages would be killed immediately.

It may be added that American, British and German experts are exchanging views here with Indian officials on possible ways to get the hostages released. Indian elite commando force 'black cat' officials are also participating in the talks.

Al-Faran said the Indian government had itself created circumstances that led to the killing of Norwegian tourist Hans Christian Ostro. It said Indian government had released Kashmiri militants in exchange for kidnapped persons in the past,then why it was not doing so now.

However, it is believed here that military action will be the last ditch effort to free the hostages because Indian officials have announced that they are in contact with the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has demanded of the United Nations to conduct an independent inquiry into the killing of Nowegian hostage.

In a statement, the Hurriyat Conference also condemned the world body saying it condemned the killing of a foreign national in Kashmir but had been keeping mum over the killing of thousands of innocent Kashmiris at the hands of the Indian security forces.

It said the western hue and cry over the murder of Ostro had exposed the dual standard of the West.-PPI