India, Pakistan troops exchange fire on Kashmir LoC: Indian officials

Troops of India and Pakistan Thursday exchanged heavy fire and targeted each other's positions on Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir, officials here said.

The two sides exchanged fire in Nowshera sector of frontier Rajouri district, about 222 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Heavy shelling reported in Kampla, Pukherni, Lam, Anwas Bhandar, Rattal Basali of Nowshera is going on," a senior local government official Shahid Choudhary said. "Measures are being taken for safety of people."

Choudhary said they have closed 71 schools in the wake of heavy shelling in the affected areas.

Reports said the firing started in the morning and was going on intermittently until last reports poured in.

Officials said so far no reports of damage or casualty were received from Indian or Pakistani side.

Last month also several cease-fire violations were reported on LoC and International Border (IB) in Kashmir. The skirmishes led to killings of troops as well as civilians on both sides, besides triggering migrations of civilian population living close to frontier.

Both India and Pakistan accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain that their troops gave befitting reply.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)