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Indian, Pakistani forces exchange fire in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Mon Jul 20, 2015 1:39PM

A series of fierce clashes has erupted between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the de facto border dividing the disputed region of Kashmir.

Indian and Pakistani troops traded fire close to Poonch District in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir early Monday.

An unnamed Indian army spokesman accused Pakistani troops of opening fire on several posts along the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the Indian and Pakistani administered sides of Kashmir.

According to the spokesman, Indian forces responded with their own barrage to the 'unprovoked firing' by Pakistani forces.

'They are using small arms and automatic weapons to target our positions. Our troopers are effectively retaliating the firing,' Indian media quoted the Indian army spokesman as saying.

There has been no immediate report of casualties, and Islamabad has yet to comment on the latest incident of fighting in the volatile region.

Indian and Pakistani forces have been engaged in similar clashes in the disputed valley over the past days. The two sides accuse each other of provocation.

The Pakistani army earlier said in a statement that Indian forces used heavy weapons on July 18 to pound Nezapir sector in Kashmir as people were celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Pakistan army recently said it had informed the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) about India's ceasefire violations and asked the monitoring group to investigate the incidents.

New Delhi had registered its own complaints to the UN over the death of one of its civilians who was killed during gunfire near the border in Jammu's Akhnoor sector on July 15.

The UNMOGIP was originally set up in 1949 to supervise the ceasefire in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.

In 2003, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire along the LoC in Kashmir, and launched peace talks a year later. The process was, however, suspended after over 160 people lost their lives in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

Kashmir lies at the heart of almost 67 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both neighbors claim the region in full, but have partial control over it.