Kashmir fighting 'worst since ceasefire begun'

Indian and Pakistani soldiers fought each other across the heavily armed Kashmir frontier in what the Indian army called the worst violation of a 2003 ceasefire agreement.

The battle came after one Indian soldier and four Pakistanis were killed yesterday along the border that divides Indian- and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.

The countries have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir. However, the frontier has been largely quiet since the 2003 ceasefire agreement, which has formed the cornerstone of a peace process between the two countries.

“This is the biggest violation of the ceasefire in the last five years,” said an army spokesman.

“We’ve sought a meeting with the Pakistani army to protest the violation.”

The Indian army said the fighting began when Pakistani troops crossed the frontier and opened fire.

However, the Pakistani army blamed the incident on Indian soldiers trying to build a post on Pakistan’s side.

“On Pakistan’s objection, Indian troops opened indiscriminate and unprovoked fire,” it said, adding that Indian troops fled the area leaving their weapons behind.

While the border has been largely quiet in recent years there have been an increase of incidents in recent months.

Both sides have blamed the other for violating the ceasefire and New Delhi has accused Islamabad of helping Islamic rebels sneak into its part of Kashmir.

Nearly a dozen Islamic rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir’s independence from India or its merger with Pakistan.

More than 68,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in the conflict.