MOSCOW, Dec 27 (AFP)
Russia�s overseas intelligence agency is liaising with its counterparts in other countries to help resolve the crisis over an Indian airline hijacking, a spokeswoman said on Monday.
Tatiana Samolis, a spokeswoman for Russia�s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), said the agency �is taking the necessary steps in close cooperation with the Russian foreign ministry.�
The SVR �is staying in contact with all interested countries� special services to ensure a rapid and humane resolution of the incident,� she said, cited by Interfax news agency.
Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh over the weekend asked his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov for help in resolving the hijacking crisis, the agency reported.
The hijackers, who seized flight IC-814 as it left Kathmandu on Friday, have demanded the release of Maulana Masood Azhar, a Pakistani Islamic cleric arrested in India-administered Kashmir in 1994.
The plane is on the tarmac at Kandahar airport, southern Afghanistan.
The country�s Taliban Islamic militia warned Monday they would storm the airliner if the five Muslim militant hijackers carried out a threat to start killing the 160 hostages on board.
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