India strikes militants across frontier

NEWDELHI — India said Thursday it had carried out “surgical strikes” against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the contested Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escal a t e d t e n s i o n s b e t we e n the nuclear-armed neighbors.

Pakistan dismissed the repor ts that India’s military had targeted “terrorist launch pads” inside the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir. Islamabad said instead that two of its soldiers were killed in “unprovoked” firing by India across the border.

Tensions, which always are simmering between India and Pakistan, spiked after an attack earlier this month on an Indian military base in Kashmir.

India accused Pakistan of sending militants belonging to the outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammed group, headquartered in Pakistan, to carry out the attack. Pakistan denied the charge.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been under heavy pressure to respond to the attack.

Indian officials gave few det a i l s a bout t he s t r i ke s across the disputed border late Wednesday night.

Indian soldiers traveling on foot crossed the Line of Control into the Pakistani-controlled portion to attack several targets based on intell i ge n c e a b ou t i mminent attacks, said a high-ranking Indian official who would only brief reporters on condition of anonymity.

He said the Indian forces k i l l e d a t l e a s t 1 0 peopl e before retreating back into Indian-controlled territory.