Hard life in hills makes hostages ill
FOUR Westerners held hostage by Kashmiri militants for over three months are believed to be ill from exposure to the cold and drinking unclean water.
According to reports from Kashmir's winter capital, Jammu, Al-Faran, who beheaded a Norweigan hostage in August, were worried about the condition of Donald Hutchings, 42, of the United States and Keith Mangan, 33, of Britain, both reportedly suffering from acute gastroenteritis after drinking water from polluted mountain rivers and streams.
The other two hostages - Paul Wells, 23, of Britain and Dirk Hasert, 26, of Germany - were believed to be suffering from various illnesses related to the cold.
Security officials claim the militants, who wanted between 12 and 15 of their jailed comrades released, were hiding in the Kishtwar region in southern Kashmir, and were desperately trying to get medical help to the foreigners.
About 10 days ago, Al-Faran activists took three paramedics, at gunpoint, from a village in the area, hoping they could treat them.
But when they expressed their helplessness, they were set free and later informed the security forces that besides being 'rather unwell', the hostages were exhausted.
The paramedics also reported that the militants were running short of food as the Gujjars, itinerant herdsmen who migrated to the hills during summer with their livestock and who had supplied the rebels with provisions, were now returning to the plains.
Though Kashmir authorities continue to deny any knowledge of the paramedics' visit to the hostages, M. N. Sabherwal, the state Director-General of Police, confirmed the hostages were safe.
'We have definite information about it,' he said but refused to divulge any details for 'operational reasons'.
Police sources also said the militants had increased the number of armed men guarding the hostages from 19 to 25.
The Indian Government, meanwhile, is under increasing pressure from the American, British and German governments to release some militants in exchange for their citizens.
'Though our strategy is to tire out the militants, we are under pressure to make some kind of trade-off,' said a federal Home Ministry official. He said the Government remained steadfast in its resolve not to make deals with terrorists.
