Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir
29 July 2008
The Indian Army has claimed that Pakistani troops infiltrated to its
side of the line of control in Kashmir on Monday and fired at its
border post killing an Indian soldier. Pakistani officials have denied
their troops crossed the border and blame India for border
provocations. The two sides have since exchanged fire for over twelve
hours. Shahnawaz Khan reports for VOA from Srinagar.
In the
latest allegations of ceasefire violations along the Kashmir border,
the Indian army said Monday that a group of Pakistani troops
infiltrated to its side of the line of control that divides Kashmir
between the two nuclear neighbors. Pakistan disputes that version of
events and says Indian troops wanted to establish a forward observation
post on the border and they objected.
The Indian Army
spokesman in Srinagar, A K Mathur, told VOA that Pakistani troops had
infiltrated to the Indian side on Monday and fired weapons when
confronted.
"At around 3 O clock we saw some movement of
troops of 10 to 12 in uniform, - these Pakistani soldiers - in our side
of line of control. When our patrol party were approaching them they
fired and killed one of our soldiers and ran back to their side of line
of control [and] from their post started firing at us. So we also
retaliated," he said.
Pakistan has denied that allegation and insists that Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing on their border posts.
Despite
recent skirmishes and complaints about violations, a ceasefire has
largely held on the line of control in Kashmir since 2003. Up until
that time India and Pakistan regularly exchanged heavy fire. Nearly a
dozen Muslim rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir's
independence from India or its merger with Pakistan.