SRINAGAR: India has lodged a strong protest over killings of its soldiers with Pakistan at a flag meeting on the dividing line in Kashmir, but Pakistan demanded that it’s neighbour should adhere to the ceasefire agreements.
Following a week of tension over fatal clashes, killing two Indian soldiers and as many Pakistani armymen, the Brigadier-level Flag Meeting was held in Poonch district of Kashmir region, ruled in parts by both the nuclear rivals.
“The Indian side lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over its soldiers intruding into Indian side and brutally killing two of its soldiers in Sona Gali area of Mendhar sector on Jan 8,” news agencies reported citing their sources.
The Pakistani army brigadier rejected the allegations of crossing over to this side of Kashmir and asked India to “respect” the ceasefire agreement, the Dawn reported.
Kashmir, which has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan for decades now, has caused two of three major wars between the two countries.
In 2003, the two neighbours agreed to a ceasefire agreement which has largely held, barring minor skirmishes.
But last week tension erupted again after India accused Pakistani soldiers of crossing the LoC and killing two soldiers, “beheading one of them”.
Pakistan denied the accusations saying its investigations revealed “no evidence that the Tuesday incident had occurred”.
It instead blamed India of using “diversion tactics” to shift attention from the incident on Sunday, when, Pakistani military said, Indian soldiers crossed the LoC, raided a post and killed a soldier.
On Thursday, Pakistan said it lost another soldier to “unprovoked” firing, which the Indian military denied.
At the flag meeting, India also demanded the “severed head of one of the beheaded soldiers” which it believed was taken by the raiding Pakistani soldiers.
The Pakistani military denied the charges and insisted India make no moves which violate the truce to ease border tensions.
