At least four Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir border firing

At least four Indian soldiers were killed on Saturday in Pakistani firing along the highly militarised de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir between the nuclear-armed rivals, Indian officials said.

"They [four slain Indian soldiers] were grievously hurt during the firing from Pakistani troops and later succumbed to their injuries," Indian Defence Ministry spokesman N N Joshi said.

Pakistani soldiers violated the 2003 cease-fire accord by targeting Indian posts in Rajouri sector, the Indian army said in a statement. It called the firing an "unprovoked cease-fire violation."

The statement said that the dead include an army officer and that Indian soldiers retaliated "strongly and effectively."

There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan.

Following the incident, heavy cross-border firing and shelling was reported at several places in the region.

"Border Action Teams" blamed for attacks

Kashmir's director-general of police, Shesh Paul Vaid, said that the four soldiers died after they were attacked by a team of attackers who came from the Pakistani side of Kashmir.

"Initial reports say three soldiers were killed during (a) BAT operation," Vaid said, referring to the "Border Action Teams" that Indian officials say are made up of Pakistani troops and rebels and carry out cross-border attacks.

New Delhi and Islamabad regularly accuse each other of firing across the heavily-militarised de facto border.

Bitter rivalry over Kashmir

Pakistan and India have a long history of bitter relations over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir, which is claimed by both in its entirety. They have fought two of their three wars over the region since they gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 against the roughly half a million Indian soldiers deployed in the territory where majority of people favour independence or a merger of the entire disputed region with Pakistan.

Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting.

In recent years, Kashmiris have openly supported anti-India rebels and sought to protect them by engaging troops in street clashes during military operations against the rebels.