Indian officials have accused Pakistani forces of opening fire along their frontier in Kashmir, which resulted in the death of two civilians (one of them was an underage boy) and a soldier, the AP news agency reported. As they specified, the civilians were killed by mortar shells, exploding inside their house. The incident injured at least 10 more people and a paramilitary soldier.
The soldier was killed in Pooch sector, along the de facto boundary, where the military of both countries exchanged fire on Saturday, the agency specified, citing Indian army spokesman Col. Nitin Joshi.
According to the agency, the schools in the area on the Indian side have been closed, the locals were advised to stay indoors to avoid shelling. The Indian authorities have also deployed bulletproof vehicles for the evacuation of those injured amid the intensified fight.
Occupied Kashmir video: Indian military truck in Budgam, locals gather on spot, chant pro-freedom slogans, praise Burhan Wani pic.twitter.com/C77fNYruvI
— Khalid khi (@khalid_pk) 20 января 2018 г.
Along with the unrest in the Kashmir region, Indian police blamed Pakistani soldiers for four-day mortar shelling and gunfire near the country's border posts in the Jammu region.
Despite the Pakistani side having not immediately responded to the accusations, the country stated on January 19 that Indian forces were targeting Pakistani settlements and starting a cross-border fire in the region.
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The intensified standoff was followed by Friday's summoning of each side's senior diplomats to remonstrate against ceasefire violations, issuing statements condemning the violence.
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The Himalayan territory of Kashmir has been disputed since 1947, when India and Pakistan received independence from the British rule, triggering two wars for the area.
