India and Pakistan square up over Kashmir

India and Pakistan are rushing to reinforce their armed forces in the disputed border area of Kashmir, following a spate of clashes between their armies last week across the so-called Line of Control which left several soldiers dead, Indian TV channel Zee News reported.

The Indian military have deployed unmanned air vehicles in the area, the channel says. Indian military sources claim the Pakistan Army opened fire on eight of its posts along the Line on Friday. Pakistan has also closed all border trading posts in the area.

Indian daily The Hindu says the latest incidents may be the result of an incident last fall in which a villager crossed the Line of Control from Indian- to Pakistan-controlled territory, prompting India to beef up its border fortifications. That prompted Pakistani calls to stop, which escalated to firing. Until last week, the two sides had maintained a nine-year ceasefire in the tense region.

The latest fighting in the area began on January 6, when a Pakistani soldier was killed by Indian forces, India's Daily News and Analysis said. Another incident took place on January 8, when India claimed two of its soldiers were killed and one of them beheaded in an attack on an outpost by Pakistan. Delhi lodged a formal protest with Islamabad over the incident.

Pakistan denied any involvment in the incident and accused India of an attack on one of its frontier posts on January 10 in which another Pakistani soldier was killed. India rejected a call by Pakistan for an independent UN investigation into the incident. India called for a meeting with the Pakistani military on the frontier to resolve the situation, which was declined, according to Zee News.

The Indian Prime Ministerial security adviser, Shiv Shankar Menon, said on January 10 that the number of incidents along the Line of Control has risen drastically in the last two years, but added this would not cause India to break off dialog with Pakistan.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hinna Rabanni Khar said last Thursday the incidents should not be allowed to interfere with the broader rapprochement between the two nations.

India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring the insurgent groups in the region and assisting them with funding and training, while Islamabad maintains they are independent and are a response to Indian occupation.