JAMMU: India is withdrawing about 15,000 soldiers from Kashmir in a confidence-building move with the region’s separatist political groups as it seeks to restart negotiations to help end a two-decade insurgency.

Kashmiri separatist groups urged New Delhi to pull out troops, release prisoners and end alleged human rights violations after the Indian government offered talks this month.

A military spokesman said one army division was being moved in a phased manner since September from the districts of Rajouri and Poonch because of improvements in the security situation.

‘The readjustment and relocation of troops is subject to security reviews and periodic assessment of ground situation,’ Lt. Col. Biplab Nath said.

Violence is now at its lowest in Kashmir since a separatist insurgency against Indian rule in the region broke out in 1989, but officials say incidents of ‘infiltration’ of militants from Pakistan have risen over the past few months.

India moved about 4,000 soldiers from its Pakistan border in Kashmir in March. There are an estimated half a million Indian security personnel, including soldiers, deployed in Kashmir.—Reuters