Kashmir border: Indian soldier dies 'in Pakistan firing'

India's military has accused the Pakistani army of shooting dead an officer in "unprovoked firing" in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

It says shots were fired across the ceasefire line in the Jammu region. Islamabad has not yet commented.
Indian soldiers retaliated and the two sides exchanged fire for 40 minutes, officials said.
In January, several deadly cross-border attacks plunged the neighbours into the worst crisis in relations in years.
Friday's firing is the first ceasefire violation since the new Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif took over on Wednesday. Mr Sharif has said better relations with India are a priority for his government.

Continue reading the main story

Both Pakistan and India claim Kashmir in itsntiretye

Kashmir dispute

• Claimed by both India and Pakistan; de facto partitioned when ceasefire line agreed in January 1949
• Jammu and Kashmir is the only Indian state with a Muslim majority (60%)
• Sparked wars between India and Pakistan in 1947-48 and 1965
• Third conflict in 1999, when Pakistani-backed forces infiltrated Indian-controlled territory in the Kargil area
• Armed revolt against Indian rule erupted in 1989, since when thousands have been killed
• Fears it could trigger a nuclear conflict, as Pakistan and India both declared themselves nuclear powers in 1998
• Ceasefire across Line of Control (LoC) agreed in 2003

• Q&A: Kashmir dispute

"Junior Commanding Officer Bachan Singh was killed when Pakistani snipers fired at an Indian post near Mandi in the Poonch sector," an army official told the BBC.

Claimed by both countries, Kashmir has been a flashpoint for over 60 years. Exchanges in the area are not uncommon but rarely result in fatalities.
In the January incidents, five soldiers - three Pakistani and two Indian - were killed in hostile exchanges between troops stationed along the Line of Control, which divides the disputed region.
Relations between the sides deteriorated so sharply that there were fears that a fledgling peace process under way since February last year could unravel.
Although both sides denied provoking the clashes along the border, eventually both India and Pakistan agreed to de-escalate tensions.
Cross-border trade and transport links, which had been suspended for a few weeks in the wake of the tensions, also later resumed.
Thousands of people have been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir since an armed revolt against Indian rule erupted in 1989. There has been a ceasefire in place since late 2003.