India, Pakistan military exchange fire on Kashmir LoC

The troops of India and Pakistan Thursday violated cease-fire agreement and targeted each other's positions on Line of Control ( LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said.

The two sides exchanged fire in frontier area of Poonch district, about 185 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Pakistan today morning resorted to unprovoked firing across the LoC in Poonch sector. The Pakistani troops fired small arms and automatics and our troops responded with equal caliber weapons, " Lt Col Manish Mehta, an Indian military spokesman said.

The exchange continued for some time. However, reports pouring in from the area said Indian military has not suffered any damage or causality in the firing.

"No casualties or damage was reported until last reports came in," Mehta said.

Earlier this month, the two sides targeted each other's positions in Balakote sector of the district.

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

The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on 720 km-long LoC and 198 km International Border 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.

According to Indian officials last year, 564 cease-fire violations, 411 along IB and 153 violations along LoC, were recorded. Endi