'Horrid' Mumbai type terror strikes harming Kashmir cause: US

Washington, Jan.8 (ANI): The United States has said that terror strikes in India, which are often termed by terror groups as a part of a 'holy war' or 'Jihad' to set Kashmir free from Indian clutches, are actually harming the cause of Kashmir.

Referring to the November.2008 Mumbai attacks, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher has said: "The horrible terrorists' attacks like that of Mumbai is actually harming the cause of Kashmir.

Boucher said that the relationship between India and Pakistan was moving on a positive note, but the attack on the financial capital of India had made the situation grim.

"The question of India-Pakistan relations is one that... they have actually made great strides forward in the last couple of years. And obviously, the tensions created by the Mumbai incident made that more difficult right now," the Nation quoted Boucher as saying.

He added that the present scenario provides an opportunity for both nations to fight the menace of terrorism together.

"I think there is an opportunity here to work together against the groups that are trying to disrupt India-Pakistan relations, against the groups that are actually harming the cause of Kashmir by carrying out these horrible terrorist actions," he said.

Hoping that the rising tension between India and Pakistan will tone down, Boucher said: "Hopefully, coming out of that, the two sides will find themselves in a better position to co-operate." (ANI)