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Indian authorities detain then release top Kashmiri separatists ahead of talks with Pakistan

Associated Press
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Kashmiri separatist leader Mohammed Yasin Malik receives a phone call inside his office after he was released by Indian authorities in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Aug 20, 2015. Indian authorities detained and later released two key Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of talks between Indian and Pakistani security advisers. A third leader is under house arrest.(AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) (The Associated Press)

Kashmiri separatist leader Mohammed Yasin Malik walks inside his office after he was released by Indian authorities in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Aug 20, 2015. Indian authorities detained and later released two key Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of talks between Indian and Pakistani security advisers. A third leader is under house arrest.(AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) (The Associated Press)

A Kashmiri woman walks near a police vehicle parked blocking the gate to the residence of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Aug 20, 2015. Geelani remained under house arrest even as Indian authorities detained and later released two other key Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of talks between Indian and Pakistani security advisers. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan) (The Associated Press)

Indian authorities detained and later released two key Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of talks between Indian and Pakistani security advisers.

A third leader is under house arrest.

Thursday's detentions came days before the leaders were expected to travel to New Delhi on the invitation of Pakistan's ambassador to meet with Sartaj Aziz, national security adviser to Pakistan's prime minister.

Aziz will arrive in New Delhi on Sunday to meet his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

The two officials are expected to discuss terrorism in the region. The talks signal the resumption of dialogue between the two countries a year after India canceled talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries, and after Pakistan consulted Kashmiri separatists.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed by both.