(Bloomberg) -- India and Pakistan blamed each other for violation of a cease-fire agreement in the disputed area of Kashmir, after cross-border shelling killed people on both sides, in signs of escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Indian army's spokesman said two of its soldiers and a civilian were killed, while Pakistan Pakistan said four of its people, including a soldier, died in the attacks. Pakistan's statement on the incursion differed from New Delhi's -- it said nine Indian soldiers had been killed in the incursion.
The dispute in Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed in its entirety by both, has been a point of decades of simmering conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad. Tensions have escalated after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdrew seven decades of constitutional autonomy from its portion of Kashmir earlier this year, followed by a sweeping security crackdown and communication blackout.
Pakistan said India deliberately targeted civilians, while New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the “unprovoked” attack, saying it responded with return fire.
--With assistance from Kamran Haider.
To contact the reporters on this story: Anurag Kotoky in New Delhi at akotoky@bloomberg.net;N. C. Bipindra in New Delhi at nbipindra@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Anto Antony, Jasmine Ng
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