
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, August 14, 1995                   TAG: 9508140109
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: SRINAGAR, INDIA                                 LENGTH: Medium

KASHMIR REBELS KILL HOSTAGE

Kashmiri rebels decapitated a Norwegian tourist they had kidnapped a month ago and threatened Sunday to kill their four other hostages - including an American - unless India frees 15 jailed militants.

A group of women who had gone to fetch water Sunday morning found the body of Hans Christian Ostro near a canal in the Himalayan village of Seer, police said. The name of the separatist group, Al-Faran, was carved on his chest with a knife.

His head was found later, 40 yards away.

The militants left a note in Ostro's shirt pocket threatening to kill the other hostages - the American, a German and two Britons - unless their 15 jailed comrades are released, police said.

``We have killed the hostage because the government has failed to accept our demands,'' the note read. ``In 48 hours, if our demands are not met, the other hostages will meet the same fate.''

Indian officials have refused to consider a swap. But a spokesman declined to comment when asked after the killing whether that remained India's policy. ``These are sensitive things,'' said Ram Mohan Rao, of the Jammu-Kashmir state government.

Ostro, 27, of Oslo, Norway, was one of six Himalayan trekkers kidnapped in early July in a tourist region 40 miles south of Srinigar, the summer capital of Jammu-Kashmir. The village of Seer, where his body was discovered, is about 30 miles south of where they were last seen.

Donald Hutchings, 42, of Spokane, Wash., and John Childs, 41, of Simsbury, Conn., were kidnapped July 4 along with two Britons: Paul Wells, 23, of London and Keith Mangan, 33, of Middlesbrough.

Childs escaped four days later - the same day Ostro and Dirk Hasert, 26, of Erfert, Germany, were abducted.

Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao condemned the killing and said his government would continue efforts to win the release of the other hostages.

Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ingvard Havnen told Norwegian Radio: ``What is important now is that those who are responsible for this act have to answer for it.''

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB