Alwaght-There is mounting tension between India and Pakistan as forces from the two countries engaged in firing across the border in the disputed Kashmir region leaving at least ten civilians dead both sides.
The cross-border clashes come days after the two countries called off high-level security talks over the dispute on Kashmir.
Pakistani officials said six people died in villages near the city of Sialkot in Punjab Province. They said about 40 people were also wounded in the firing and shelling by Indian forces, which began at about 3:00 a.m. local time on Friday .
“Six civilians embraced shahadat (martyrdom) and 46 were severely injured including 22 females due to Indian unprovoked firing/shelling on working boundary near Sialkot in Chaprar and Harpal sector,” a statement from the Pakistani military said, adding that the Pakistani forces had befittingly returned fire.
However, Indian officials said it was the Pakistani side that began the “unprovoked” firing of mortars and shells, saying four people were killed and close to 20 injured in rural areas in the Indian-administered Kashmir.
"Four villagers died in the shelling from across the border, three of them were killed early morning and one died of injuries in a hospital later," Pawan Kotwal, the top administrator of the region, told reporters.
Tensions have been high between the two nuclear-armed rivals since a meeting between their national security advisors was cancelled on Sunday. India said the meeting should solely include discussions about terrorism, but Pakistan wanted the issue of Kashmir also included.
The two nuclear-armed archrivals have a history of uneasy relations and regularly exchange fire over the highly militarized Line of Control.
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan, but claimed in full by both, since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947.
The two countries have fought two of their three wars over their competing claims to Kashmir, though a 2003 ceasefire has largely held despite small but regular firefights.