Some parties criticised soldiers for their actions

The state's junior Home Minister, Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, told the legislative assembly that 2,575 people, including civilians, had been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir in the past nine-and-a-half months.

It is the highest figure for the last four years.

He said the security forces had lost about 635 of their members against about 1,200 militants.

This works out at about one soldier for every two militants.

During the past nine years, the average casualty rate has varied between four to eight militants for each soldier.

Mr Lone gave the figures during a discussion in the assembly on the killing of innocent people in the state.

Accusations

Members of the ruling National Conference and the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party criticised the Indian security forces for what they called harassing and killing innocent civilians on the pretext of fighting militants.

A BSP member, Sheikh Abdul Rehman, said the state government had scant regard for human rights which is why the state human rights commission is yet to open an office anywhere in the territory.

Ashok Sharma of the Congress Party said the government had failed to deploy the security forces in adequate strength to protect the lives of people in the Jammu region.

Abdul Rehman Veeri of the People's Democratic Party said militancy is a result of stifling democracy and rigging elections in the state.

In an obvious reference to the Hizbul Mujahideen supreme commander, Sayed Salahuddin, Mr Veeri said those who stood for election were forced to become leaders of the armed campaign.

He said the violence would end only if the government opened talks with the militants.