国际英语新闻:India, Pakistan border guards exchange heavy fire on Kashmir border

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The border guards of India and Pakistan Sunday once again exchanged fire heavily on the international border (IB) in Kashmir, officials said.

The exchange broke hours after four civilians were killed, two on each side in deadly skirmishes between the two sides.

According to Indian officials Pakistani Rangers Saturday night violated cease-fire and targeted 25 Indian border outposts and 19 hamlets along the IB in Arnia of RS Pora and Akhnoor sectors of Jammu district.

"Pakistan Rangers resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing on 25 border outposts and 19 hamlets in R S Pura and Akhnoor sectors Saturday night at 10:00 p.m.," a BSF official said. "The exchange lasted until Sunday morning."

According to officials, BSF men posted along border retaliated to Pakistan firing. So far there have been no reports of any casualty in Sunday's firing.

A senior BSF official Rakesh Sharma told media on Sunday that Pakistan tries to infiltrate some trained militants into Indian side under the pretext of violating cease-fire.

"It is a well known fact that Pakistan is training militants and is providing support to push them inside Indian territory," Sharma said. "There are some trained militants across the border and they are generally seen in civilian clothes but they have never been able to come close to the IB."

Pakistan often denies such allegations.

On Saturday officials said over 3,000 people living close to IB were evacuated to safer places in wake of the shelling.

India's Defense Minister Arun Jaitley Sunday said India's armed forces were "responding adequately" to "provocations from Pakistan."

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to uNPRovoked firing and violating cease-fire and, both sides claim they retaliated in effective manner to silence opposite side.

India this week canceled the foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan, citing its reservations over Islamabad's proximity with Kashmiri separatists. The cancellation of talks increased tension between the two countries.

This month has seen a surge in cease-fire violations on line-of- control (LoC) and IB in Kashmir.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.

New Delhi and Islamabad in 2003 agreed to observe cease-fire along IB and LoC in Kashmir. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the cease-fire remains in effect.

Last year deadly skirmishes took place between Indian and Pakistani troops posted on 720 km-long LoC and 198 km IB in Kashmir. Both sides have suffered troop as well as civilian casualties during the stand-off.