Pakistan, India exchange fresh fire across LoC today

Jammu and Kashmir - The skirmish came two days after India claimed it had carried out "surgical strikes" across the heavily militarised Line of Control (LoC).

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By AFP

Published: Sat 1 Oct 2016, 8:00 AM

Last updated: Sun 2 Oct 2016, 8:43 AM

Pakistan and India exchanged fresh fire across the Jammu and Kashmir border on Saturday, the Pakistani military said, with Indian officials stating there was no damage as tensions rise between the two countries.
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"Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing" which started at 4:00 am (2300 GMT) and continued for four hours in Bhimber sector on the Pakistani side of the border, a military statement said.
It did not mention casualties.
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"There was small arms fire and mortar shells fire from across the border in Akhnoor sector which lasted for around two hours (4:00 am to 6:00 am)," Pawan Kotwal, a top civilian official in Jammu and Kashmir state on the Indian side, told AFP.
"No damage was caused. We are ready for any eventuality but it is peaceful in Jammu region."
The skirmish came two days after India claimed it had carried out "surgical strikes" across the heavily militarised Line of Control (LoC).
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The rare public admission of such action sparked furious rhetoric from Pakistan and calls for restraint from the US and the UN.
 "This is a dangerous moment for the region," Pakistan's Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told AFP after meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters in New York.
Ban Friday offered to act as a mediator between New Delhi and Islamabad to defuse the tensions.
In a statement to AFP, India's mission to the United Nations said "India has no desire to aggravate the situation," and that "our response was a measured counter-terrorist strike".
On Friday authorities in parts of northern India said they had started evacuating villages within 10 kilometres (six miles) of the border following the raids earlier this week.

AFP

Published: Sat 1 Oct 2016, 8:00 AM

Last updated: Sun 2 Oct 2016, 8:43 AM

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