Three civilians killed in AJK due to Indian troops mortar firing that also damaged nearly a dozen houses.
The AP quoted Pakistani authorities as saying on Sunday that Indian troops fired mortars into Azads Jammu and Kashmir.
Three civilians killed
They said that India mortars firing left three civilians dead while damaging nearly a dozen homes in recent days.
However, AP report had it that India’s military blamed Pakistan’s forces for initiating the shooting.
Both Pakistan and India blamed each other for alleged unprovoked ceasefire violation.
Exchange of fire
Although Pakistan and India often exchange fire in Kashmir, skirmishes have increased in the past several days.
Tensions in Muslim-majority (India-occupied) Kashmir (IOK) have escalated since August. That’s when India downgraded the autonomy of the portion of Kashmir (IOK) it administers and imposed a lock-down.
Disaster management authorities and other officials in Pakistan’s portion of Kashmir said several people have also been wounded when India allegedly targeted civilian population.
Pakistan’s military says it returned fire in the past 72 hours, causing damages to Indian posts.
India’s Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian Army spokesman, said Pakistani soldiers had fired mortars and artillery shells and small arms at least at half a dozen places in the last three days.
He added that the Indian soldiers “retaliated effectively.”
Pakistan civilian government leaders and military have accused India of plotting false flag operation. They have also warned of befitting response to Indian warmongering false flag operation.
The latest development comes as supporters from a radical Pakistani party, Jamaat-e-Islami, held a large rally in the capital, Islamabad, to express solidarity with people living in Kashmir.
Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars on Kashmir after gaining independence from Britain in 1947.