Baltimore Sun

KUPWARA, India - Voters in Kashmir defied threats by Muslim militants and turned out in greater numbers than expected yesterday for state elections in Indian-controlled Kashmir, electoral officials said.

Though one civilian was killed and there were scattered acts of violence, thousands of soldiers were deployed across the Himalayan province and the separatists failed to significantly disrupt the voting.

Kashmir, a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for five decades, had seen increasingly bloody attacks in recent weeks, with militants opposed to the election - and in favor of independence or union with Pakistan - stepping up their campaigns.

The militants have threatened to kill anyone who participates in the vote, which will be held over four days stretching into October. No results are expected to be made public until Oct. 12.

The relatively high turnout of 44 percent reported yesterday by elections officials may partly be in response to separatists who ran as independent candidates. While the state's largest separatist alliance called for a boycott, the independent candidates said voting was necessary to drive the ruling National Conference party from power.