MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 20: The Line of Control (LoC) dividing the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir between India and Pakistan has been quiet in recent days due to the combined effects of diplomacy and snow, local military sources said on Sunday.

There has been a massive build-up of Indian and Pakistani troops on the LoC since the Dec 13 attack on the Indian parliament, which New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based militant groups. Pakistan condemned the attack.

The nuclear-armed neighbours have engaged each other in sometimes intense exchanges of artillery and small arms fire across the LoC.

But there has been a marked drop-off in firing in “the past six or so days”, a military official told AFP in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir.

“There are two reasons for that. One is the severe cold weather coupled with heavy snowfall along the Line of Control and the second is the beginning of de-escalation (of tensions) as a result of international pressure,” said theofficial, who declined to be named.

Recent visits by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US Secretary of State Colin Powell to Islamabad and New Delhi to try to help calm the situation had helped, he said.

“But troops are there and still on high alert, although the chances of war have been mitigated.”

The last exchange of heavy fire across the Kashmir border was reported on Jan 14 with both sides using mortars and artillery, although no casualties were reported.

Civilian officials said the border has been generally quiet following the landmark address a week ago by President Pervez Musharraf, who banned five extremist groups, including two — Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Mohammad — blamed by India for the parliament attack.—AFP