67 Killed In Guerrilla Attacks In Kashmir

That bloodshed came hours after 30 unarmed Hindu pilgrims and Muslim porters were killed in an attack on a community kitchen in Pahalgam as the group made its way to a religious shrine in the disputed state. Two militants were killed by security forces guarding the pilgrims.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks. But police said they suspected Islamic guerrillas who oppose a Kashmir cease-fire and are fighting for the region's independence. More than a dozen rebel bands are fighting in Kashmir.

The attacks came as the New Delhi government prepared to talk to a leading guerrilla group in Kashmir.

"It's an attempt to sabotage the peace process set in motion," Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, the highest elected official in Kashmir, said after the first attack.

Abdullah and the government have been trying to negotiate with rebel groups, notably the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, which announced a cease-fire last week. Hizbul Mujahideen had urged the other groups to join its truce.