Five dead as Pakistan and India exchange fire in Kashmir, officials say
- Pakistani military claims five Indian soldiers were killed by return fire at Line of Control, the de facto border, but Indian army disputes ‘fictitious’ deaths
- UN Security Council expected to discuss Kashmir in closed-door meeting on Friday
Five people were killed in cross-border fire between India and Pakistan, officials said on Thursday, amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals since New Delhi controversially stripped contested Kashmir of its autonomy.
Skirmishes are frequent across the so-called Line of Control (LoC), but the latest deaths came after Pakistan warned it was ready to meet any Indian aggression over Kashmir.
Officials in the part of Kashmir ruled by Pakistan said on Thursday that three soldiers died in Indian shelling across The Line of Control, the de facto border, and two others were killed in a separate incident.
The Pakistani military also claimed its return fire killed five Indian soldiers. But an Indian army spokesman told the Press Trust of India late Thursday the deaths were “fictitious”.
Another Indian military official told the news agency Pakistani troops fired mortar shells and small arms across the border.