Kashmir clashes leave 15 dead

Clashes between Indian security forces and Kashmiri militants have intensified since the December 13 attack on parliament

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Indian security officials say at least 15 people have been killed in the disputed region of Kashmir in the past 24 hours in attacks being blamed on Kashmiri militants.

Police say six Hindus, including two children, were shot dead overnight while Indian soldiers reportedly killed six rebels in two gun battles.

Three other civilians were killed elsewhere in Kashmir in separate shootouts.

The deaths come amid heightened tensions in the disputed region with India and Pakistan pouring in extra troops and weaponry on both sides side of the Line of Control.

Relations between the two South Asian nuclear rivals have plummeted to their lowest level in decades following the December 13 suicide attack on the Indian parliament, which New Delhi has blamed on Kashmiri militant groups it says are supported by Pakistan.

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India is demanding Pakistan shut down the two groups it says were involved and has handed the Pakistani authorities a list of suspects blamed for attack that it wants arrested.

The authorities in Islamabad say they will not act against anyone on the list without evidence, which they say India has not yet provided.

On Sunday, Pakistani authorities announced they had arrested Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, leader of Lashkar e-Tayyiba, or Army of the Righteous -- one of the groups India accuses of taking part in the parliament attack.

The move followed the earlier detention of Maulana Azhar Massood, leader of the second group, Jaish-e-Mohammed -- or Army of Mohammed.

Both groups have denied any involvement in the attack on parliament but vowed to continue their holy war, or jihad, against Indian rule in Kashmir.

Troop movements

On Tuesday Pakistani military officials said India had put more troops into forward positions at the border between the two countries and redeployed air and naval assets in a more threatening way -- moves Pakistan says it is watching closely.

India has denied adding military forces to the region but said a troop redeployment, planned earlier, was nearly complete.

On Wednesday representatives from both countries are due to gather in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, for the annual meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf are expected to arrive at the end of the week to take part in the leader's summit.

The clashes come as Indian and Pakistani forces face each other off across the border

However, despite much international prodding it seems unlikely that the two men will use the occasion to try and talk down their row -- although both sides have raised the possibility of a meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad Tuesday Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said Pakistan still hopes the military standoff at the border can be resolved through negotiations.

"We hope that the situation would be contained and the Indian side would not escalate the situation and our reasonable offer of sitting across the table and resolving the problem would be taken up," he said.

"There are opportunities which will be present shortly at Katmandu. We would welcome that opportunity if there is a move from the other side."

Meanwhile in a New Year's message to the nation Vajpayee said India was ready to open talks with Pakistan if its neighbor abandoned an "anti-India mentality."

"Take effective steps to stop cross-border terrorism, and you will find India willing to walk more than half the distance to work closely with Pakistan to resolve through dialogue any issue, including the contentious issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.