Pakistan accuses India of killing civilian

India says it responded to unprovoked firing from Pakistani side and targeted military posts, not civilian areas.

Pakistan accuses India of shelling disputed border
The mountainous Kashmir border is divided between Pakistan and India but claimed in its entirety by both [Reuters]

Pakistan has accused Indian troops of shelling its territory along the disputed Kashmir border and killing a civilian, the latest in a series of allegations by both sides over the past week.

A Pakistani military official accused Indian troops of “unprovoked firing” in the early morning hours on Monday in three sectors along the Kashmir border: Battal, Chirikot and Satwal.

A civilian named Muhammad Zubair was killed by the shelling, the official said.

Military sources told Al Jazeera, soldiers fired across the border into the village of Dunga.

A senior Indian army commander said Indian troops were responding to unprovoked firing from Pakistan and targeted military posts, not civilian areas.

The firing from Pakistani started last night and continued through the night in two places, the commander said. He accused Pakistan of regularly violating a 2003 cease-fire in Kashmir over the past four days.

Pakistan and India have long been enemies and have fought three major wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over control of Kashmir.

The resumption of violence along the border threatens to sabotage recent overtures by the two countries aimed at resuming peace talks.

Five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack last week on the disputed border. India accused Pakistani soldiers and fighters of crossing into its portion of Kashmir and killing its army personnel.

The mountainous Kashmir border is divided between Pakistan and India but claimed in its entirety by both.

The Indian Defence Minister, AK Antony, has demanded those involved be punished.

Pakistan has denied its soldiers killed any Indian troops and accused Indian soldiers of severely wounding a Pakistani citizen along the border last Thursday. India has denied the allegation.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his concern about the incidents last week and said both sides should make sure the situation doesn’t escalate.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies