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Three civilians wounded in India, Pakistan firing on Kashmir border

Xinhua, January 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least three people, including a woman, were wounded in an exchange of heavy fire and artillery between the border guards of India and Pakistan along International Border (IB) in disputed Kashmir, officials said Friday.

Indian officials said Pakistan Rangers targeted their posts in Arnia area of R S Pura sector of Jammu district, about 322 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"In a fresh firing incident on IB, three people including a women were wounded last evening after being hit by artillery fired from across the border by Pakistan troops," said an Indian official. "Besides targeting our forward posts, the shells were aimed at civilian areas in the vicinity."

The wounded civilians, amid heavy shelling, were immediately rushed to hospital of Government Medical College in Jammu city.

"We have received three people who were wounded in the firing between troops of India and Pakistan in Arnia sector," a health official posted at hospital said. "They are admitted in the hospital and are under observation."

The Indian border guards retaliated to Pakistan firing and exchange continued throughout the night, reports said.

Earlier this month, deadly exchanges between troops of the two countries triggered migrations of civilians from frontier areas.

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain their troops gave befitting reply to the other side.

The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on 720 km-long Line of Control (LoC) and 198 km IB in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe cease-fire. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the cease-fire however remains in effect.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts. The LoC on both sides is guarded by army, while IB is guarded by Border Security Force on Indian side and Pakistan Rangers on the other side. Endi