Indian, Pakistan troops trade heavy cross-border fire
Five civilians killed in some of the most intense fighting between the neighbours in a decade
Five civilians were killed and thousands took refuge in camps in the disputed region of Kashmir yesterday after some of the most intense fighting between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India in a decade.
Nine Pakistani and eight Indian civilians have been killed since fighting erupted more than week ago in the mostly Muslim Himalayan region. Kashmir is claimed by both countries and has been a focus of tension in South Asia.
Each side has accused the other of targeting civilians and unprovoked violations of a border truce that has largely held since 2003.
While exchanges of sporadic fire are common along the de facto border dividing the region, civilian deaths are unusual. Three Pakistani and two Indian civilians were killed yesterday.
"We are all concerned and want an early solution to [the fighting]," India's Air Chief Arup Raha said. "We don't want to let the issue become serious."
A senior border security force official said Indian forces had retaliated to machine gun and mortar attacks on about 60 positions along a more than 200 km stretch of the border.
