India-Pakistan relations deteriorate
Indian officials say 5 Indian soldiers were killed during an attack by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LOC) in the Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir late Monday night.
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| Indian army soldiers stand next to the coffins of their colleagues killed in an attack along the Line of Control. (Photo: Reuters) |
The incident provoked anger at a session of the Indian Parliament on Tuesday. Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav called the attack a serious issue and suggested suspending the session. Yadav warned of dangers along the India-Pakistan border and demanded a response by India’s ruling Congress Party. Opposition MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned Pakistani soldiers for frequently violating the ceasefire along the LOC and asked that an appropriate reply be made to Pakistan.
Pakistan denied any involvement of its troops in the attack and any other clashes along the LOC. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it considers India’s allegation baseless. A spokesperson said the Pakistani military authorities had confirmed no exchange of fire and remained committed to the ceasefire agreement of 2003, which is an important trust building measure toward resuming bilateral talks.