India & Pakistan trade accusations following deadly clash in Kashmir that killed at least 4, including Indian civilian
The latest border skirmish between the forces of two nuclear-armed nations in the disputed Kashmir region claimed at least four lives, the arch-rivals confirmed trying to shift the blame for ceasefire violation on each other.
The clash that occurred late on Wednesday was acknowledged by both Islamabad and New Delhi, but their accounts and casualty numbers differ significantly.
Two Pakistani soldiers were killed while responding to fire from the Indian side, Pakistan’s military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Thursday, claiming that at least three Indian servicemen were killed by return fire.
Indian military officials, however, insist that it was the Pakistani military that shot first. One Indian soldier and a female civilian were killed during the skirmish, India’s military spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said. No claims were made by New Delhi about the Pakistani casualties, yet the officials insisted the troops responded to the shooting from the Pakistani side “strongly and befittingly.”
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The disputed Kashmir region, claimed by both nations as their own, has been the major source of tensions between India and Pakistan since they gained independence from the British rule in 1947. Two major wars and numerous smaller-scale conflicts have taken place over the years due to this dispute.
While a ceasefire along the so-called Line of Control (LoC) – the de-facto border that crosses Kashmir – was established back in 2003, it has been repeatedly violated by both nations. The latest major escalation occurred back in February, when a major suicide bombing by a Pakistani-based military group prompted a large-scale military response from India. New Delhi conducted cross-border bombing raids into Pakistan, and the two nuclear-armed countries even engaged into an aerial battle, stopping just short of an all-out war.
Both India and Pakistan ultimately took steps to de-escalate the situation, but Kashmir once again became the flashpoint in August, when New Delhi revoked the region’s autonomous status to integrate it with the rest of India.
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