India, Pakistan troops trade fire on Kashmir LoC

The troops of India and Pakistan posted on line-of-control (LoC) in Kashmir resorted to firing on each other's positions, officials said Wednesday. The cease-fire violation took place on Tuesday night in Krishna Ghati sector of frontier Poonch district, about 185 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. "Pakistani army last night at 11:05 (local time) violated cease- fire and targeted our positions in Krishna Ghati sector using small arms and automatics," Lt Col Manish Mehta, Indian army spokesman in Jammu, said. "Our men posted there also fired in retaliation using similar calibre weapons." The firing continued for some time, reports said. "We have not suffered any damage due to Pakistani firing," Mehta said. This is the fourth cease-fire violation of the month so far. In December last year Director General of Military Operations ( DGMO) of the two countries met for talks at Wagah-Attari border and pledged to uphold 2003 cease-fire agreement on the LoC, besides agreeing to work out a mechanism to ensure peace and ease tensions. Last year deadly skirmishes took place between Indian and Pakistani troops posted on 720-km-long LoC and 198-km International Border (IB) in Kashmir. Both sides suffered troop as well as civilian casualties during the stand-off. Indian army said around 200 cease-fire violations were recorded on LoC and IB in Kashmir last year. Both New Delhi and Islamabad blamed each other for violating cease-fire.New Delhi and Islamabad in 2003 agreed to observe cease- fire along IB and LoC in Kashmir. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the cease-fire remains in effect. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from British, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.