At least three Pakistani soldiers were killed in a clash with Indian border guards on the disputed Kashmir border, the military said Tuesday.
THREE DEAD ONE INJURED
The incident, the latest in a series of border clashes between the two nuclear neighbors in recent years, occurred in the Rawlakot sector’s Rakhchakri area along the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border that divides the disputed Himalayan valley between the two countries, after a break of only a couple of weeks.
“Three brave sons of the soil laid down their lives in the line of duty [as] Indian troops resorted to unprovoked fire in the Rakhchakri, Rawalakot sector along the LoC,” said a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing. One soldier was also injured in the clash, the ISPR said. “The Pakistan army responded effectively. There are reports of casualties on the Indian side,” it added.
The two longtime rivals have been locked in diplomatic and military tensions following a suicide attack on an army convoy in Indian- administered Kashmir in February that killed more than 40 Indian troops.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad of colluding with militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which reportedly claimed responsibility for the brazen attack. Pakistan denied the charge.
Tensions mounted further after Indian jets intruded into Pakistan’s airspace and bombed a suspected militant hideout near the border in February. The next day, Pakistan’s air force downed two jets and captured a pilot, who was later released.