Four Western hostages, including a Spokane, Wash., man, completed 100 days in captivity with no new word on their condition from the separatist rebels who kidnapped them.
Indian officials said Wednesday they had not heard from the Al-Faran guerrillas since contact was broken three weeks ago, although intelligence reports last week said the hostages - two Britons, an American and a German - were still alive.In another development, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it will send a delegate Thursday to Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir, to work out details of Red Cross visits to jails and detention centers.
The Red Cross has been seeking permission to enter India's jails in Kashmir since 1990, and the procedure has been under negotiation for more than a year.
India routinely has denied permission for international humanitarian and human rights groups to officially visit Kashmir, although unofficial visits have resulted in scathing reports alleging systematic human rights violations.
Negotiations with the Al-Faran rebels holding the four hostages broke down over demands for the release of 15 guerrillas from Indian jails, which India has refused.
Ratinder Kaul, a spokesman for the Jammu-Kashmir state government, declined to comment on news reports that one of the hostages was suffering from snow blindness and another complained of acute pain.
The American hostage is Donald Hutchings, 42 of Spokane.