E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Mukesh Gupta / Reuters
Indian security posts are seen along the border between India and Pakistan in Suchetgarh, southwest of Jammu, on Jan. 6.
JAMMU, India -- India accused Pakistan of sending troops across the line dividing the disputed region of Kashmir on Tuesday and said two of its soldiers were killed and one was wounded in a half-hour gunfight.
One military official told India's Times Now news channel that the body of one of the slain soldiers was later found mutilated in a forested area of the Himalayan territory.
A Pakistani army spokesman denied what it said were Indian allegations of "unprovoked firing" across the heavily militarized Line of Control, or LOC, between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
The incident came two days after a clash along the LOC in which Pakistan said one of its soldiers was killed after an Indian incursion. India denied its troops crossed the line.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence in 1947, two of them over Kashmir.
Rajesh K. Kalia, spokesman for the Indian army's Northern Command, said Tuesday's "intrusion" was "a significant escalation ... of ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts supported by Pakistan Army."
"Pakistan Army troops, having taken advantage of thick fog and mist in the forested area, were moving towards (their) own posts when an alert area domination patrol spotted and engaged the intruders," he said.
Jihadists are entrenched in Kashmir and they're seeking to incite war between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India, author Dilip Hiro tells NBC's Carol Grisanti.
"The firefight between Pakistan and own troops continued for approximately half an hour, after which the intruders retreated back towards their side of Line of Control."
In 1999, Pakistan-backed Islamist infiltrators occupied the Kargil heights in northern Indian Kashmir, and India lost hundreds of troops before re-occupying the mountains after bitter fighting that almost triggered a fourth war.
Nuclear-armed India, Pakistan talk peace
Indian military officials said the frequency of cross-border clashes has increased in recent weeks, with at least half a dozen ceasefire violations over the past week alone.
Firing and small skirmishes between the two countries are common along the LOC despite slowly improving ties in recent years. The Indian army says eight of its soldiers were killed in 2012, in 75 incidents.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Conn. politician apologizes after saying Giffords should 'stay out of my towns'
- 'Please save us': Teens feared to have fallen through lake ice
- Cops: Fingernail DNA helps catch woman's killer 28 years later
- Teen in crude video about alleged Ohio rape not involved, lawyer says
- New survey helps US companies prove their 'vet friendly' claims
- Oil tanker hits San Francisco's Bay Bridge
- Lottery winner fatally poisoned day after collecting winnings, death ruled homicide
- California man says he can drive in carpool lane with corporation papers
- Supreme Court lets embryonic stem cell research go forward
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
See, this is what happens when you arm boarder patrols with guns. They should have stun guns, so this kind of thing never happens. Arming the boarder patrol is dangerous, and should be avoided. They need to have no lethal mean to stop people from coming into their country so this never happens again.
Are you serious? Maybe you can donate some rape whistles I'm sure you have one!
Chris, these are ARMY soldiers, not border patrol like we have in the U.S. Take a little time and READ.
Often, Pakistan will provoke these border incidents, in order to give cover to Pakistani Islamic militants to cross into India (for terror-----think back to Mumbai).
Pakistan should do something about the terrorist groups and camps operating inside its territory.
Pakistan's "Dogs of War" (the Islamic militants)--are now turning on the hand that feeds them.
Hopefully, Pakistan will realize that the real threat comes from within Pakistan, not elsewhere.
If you remember, India still has yet to retaliate with Pakistan over the murder of 131 people by terrorists outfitted, trained and smuggled by Pakistan's ISI in Mumbai a few years back. It is interesting to note the one soldier was found mutilated on the Paki side of the border. That indicates that even the Pakis themselves might be to blame, as they may have thought a lone soldier was Indian and attacked him themselves.
India :
The Caspian oil pipeline, nor the rare earth deposits in Afghanistan apply to your situation.
It is why the US has sucked up to the double dealing Pakistanis for too many years.
If you feel the need , just kick their A#$. Most Americans would say they are due for it.
INDIA---millions of Indians have migrated to the United States--and still coming--taking American dollars to send back to India--over 35,000,000 Illegals here in the USA--many drawing benefits.
$113,000,000,000.00--This years cost of illegal immigration--Appoximatly 75% of that cost is absorbed by the states.
1,400,000--the number of illegal immigrants households that use at lest one major welfare program-such as food stamps--wic--school lunches--medicaid--supplementary social security-free phone-subdized housing--welcome to America
well not to burst your bubble too much... illegal immigrants are actually a vital part to our economy...thers are reason you get stuff like 6 lemons for a dollar, because of cheap undocumented labor. kick all the illegals out, you might as well bankrupt the us. oh and nice job on your exaggerated stats
Dude--
You have Indians from India mixed up with Mexicans.
Indians pay the most taxes of any group.