NEW DELHI: Pakistan has accused India of decapitating 12 soldiers in cross-border attacks since 1998 and registered a protest with a UN watchdog, a newspaper reported Wednesday, after deadly army clashes earlier this month.
India has denied the charges.
The accusations are contained in a series of classified documents presented to the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) which monitors the disputed Kashmir border, according to The Hindu newspaper.
However the Indian Army described the newspaper report as “erroneous and speculative”.
“The very fact that Pakistan has not raised any such issue in bilateral interactions since 1998 bears testimony to the allegations being misleading,” the army said in a statement.
It said it was a “highly professional force and does not indulge in unsoldierly acts as alleged” in the newspaper story.
Pakistan says three of its soldiers were killed in firing by Indian troops while India accuses Pakistani troops of killing two of its soldiers on Jan 8, one of whom was beheaded. Pakistan has denied responsibility.
The situation along the LoC has calmed since the two armies agreed a ceasefire on Jan 16.
In its complaint before the UNMOGIP, Pakistan is reported to have accused India of beheading 12 soldiers and killing 29 civilians since 1998.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed senior Pakistani army officer stating that they have “sought to downplay these incidents…Each of these incidents has been protested by us on both military and UNMOGIP channels”.
The UNMOGIP was set up to monitor ceasefire violations by India and Pakistan but the watchdog does not conduct criminal investigations.
(Agencies)
