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India, Pakistan troops trade fire in Kashmir

Xinhua, September 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

The troops of India and Pakistan exchanged heavy fire on Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir, officials said Tuesday.

The two sides resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling on each other's positions in Balakot sector of frontier Poonch district, about 185 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Forward areas of Balakot sector witnessed unprovoked cease- fire violations by Pakistan military yesterday from 6: 45 p.m. ( local time) to 7:45 a.m.," Lt Col Manish Mehta, Jammu based Indian military spokesman said. "Pakistan fired automatics, heavy machine gun fire, 60 mm and 82 mm mortars, which was retaliated appropriately by our troops."

No comment from the Pakistani side is immediately available. 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.

There has been no let up in the cease-fire violations on LoC despite an agreement signed by India and Pakistan on Saturday to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border.

In the recently concluded three-day director general-level talks, the two sides agreed to stop mortar shelling on each other.

India maintained talks with Pakistan were productive and the disputes have been resolved, however skirmishes on LoC continued even during the talks.

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

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. Endi