Indian and Pakistani troops exchange heavy fire at border

SRINAGAR, Kashmir: Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy fire and targeted each other’s positions in the Line of Control ( LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said yesterday.

The two sides exchanged fi re on LoC in frontier Poonch district, about 185km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indiancontrolled Kashmir.

“Pakistani forces last night resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling and fi ring along LoC in Poonch district,” Xinhua news agency quoted an official as saying.

“The fi ring and shelling, aimed at targeting Indian positions and civilian areas in Gulpur sector started at 10pm local time.” Indian army officials said their side duly retaliated to the firing and gave a befitting reply to Pakistani troops.

According to the officials, so far no report of damage was received from Indian or Pakistani side.

Earlier this week, three troopers — two from Pakistan and one from India — were killed during skirmishes in Tangdhar-Kupwara along LoC.

New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked fi rings and violating ceasefire agreements on LoC – and both the sides maintain their troops gave befitting reply to the other side.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full.

Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. — Bernama