June 17, 2020 - 12:22 PM
ISLAMABAD - Indian troops fired on villages along the border in the Pakistani-administered side of the Kashmir region on Wednesday, killing four civilians and wounding another, Pakistan's military said.
In a statement, it blamed India's army for initiating an “unprovoked ceasefire violation" and said Pakistani troops deployed in the disputed Himalayan region “effectively responded" to the Indian fire, without elaborating.
There was no immediate reaction from Indian officials.
Pakistan and India often trade fire in Kashmir, which is divided between them and claimed by both in its entirety.
The latest development comes two days after India and China clashed along a disputed border high in the Himalayas that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Pakistan blames New Delhi for escalating tensions with China, a longtime friend of Islamabad.
Relations between Pakistan and India have been strained over Kashmir since last August when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist-led government stripped the side of Kashmir it controls of its semi-autonomous status.
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir since independence from British rule in 1947.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020