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India conveys response to hijackers

By A Correspondent in New Delhi

After hours of deliberations, Indian negotiators have finally offered their initial response to the new set of demands made by the hijackers of Flight 814 currently stationed at Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan.

Negotiators in Kandahar, who have started a fourth round of direct talks with the hijackers on Wednesday morning, have passed on the reply, Civil Aviation Secretary Ravinder Gupta told the media in New Delhi.

"You know what our reply should be," was all Gupta would only say when asked about the nature of the Indian response.

"We cannot reveal (the negotiating strategy), but we will explore all possible alternatives and evaluate them before taking any action," the secretary said.

Pointing to the "obvious limitations" in divulging details of the negotiations, Gupta, however, voiced the hope that there would be some "positive" development in the crisis that has entered the sixth day.

"We cannot take any step that could provoke the hijackers. The negotiating team has been asked to have nerves of steel and ocean of patience."

Previously, the only known demand, which was conveyed to India by the Taleban authorities in Afghanistan -- had been for the release of Maulana Masood Azhar jailed in Jammu since 1994.

However, on Tuesday, the hijackers demanded that India release 36 Muslim militants lying in jails, pay $ 200 million in ransom, and hand over the body of Sajad Afgani who was killed in a jailbreak attempt some months ago.

-NIGHTMARE ON FLIGHT 814
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