The United Nations and the United States yesterday urged India and Pakistan to avoid escalation in their dispute over Kashmir after elite Indian troops claimed crossing the line of control to attack militants in Pakistan-ruled Kashmir.
“The United Nations calls on the government of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and encourage them to continue their efforts to resolve their differences peacefully and through dialogue,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
UN officials are following the increase in tensions in Kashmir “with great concern,” said Dujarric, adding that UN military observers were in contact with both sides to try to obtain further information.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said reports from the region indicated the Indian and Pakistani militaries had been in communication with one another “and we encourage continued discussions ... to avoid escalation.”
He said President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser, Susan Rice, had spoken to her Indian counterpart on Wednesday and made clear Washington is “concerned by the danger that cross-border terrorism poses.”
Earnest said he could not speak to “any specific co-ordination” between India and the US on the situation.
Amid anger in India over a recent assault on one of its army bases in Kashmir, officials claimed troops had conducted “surgical strikes” several kilometers inside the Pakistan-controlled side of Kashmir.
Pakistan said two of its soldiers had been killed and nine more wounded in what it said was small arms fire.
Pakistan also captured an Indian soldier, military officials in the two countries said.
“It is confirmed one soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles with weapons has inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistan side of the Line of Control,” an Indian army official said in New Delhi.
He said such incidents of people including civilians crossing the frontier by mistake have happened in the past from both sides and those who strayed are returned.
Two officials based in Pakistan’s Chhamb’s sector said the Indian soldier with weapons was captured at 1330 local time yesterday.
The Pakistan army said Indian troops fired across the Line of Control into the areas of Bhimber, Kel, Tatta Pani and Lipa shortly after midnight.
Two soldiers died and nine were injured, Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Mohamed Asif said.
Pakistan army spokesman General Asim Bajwa denied any cross-border strike by India.
“As per rules of engagement same was strongly and befittingly responded by Pakistani troops,” he said.
“The notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists’ bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by Indian to create false effects,” Bajwa said.
“This quest by Indian establishment to create media hype by rebranding cross border fire as surgical strike is fabrication of truth.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned what he called “unprovoked firing” across the border by Indian troops and called it naked aggression.
“Our intent for a peaceful neighbourhood should not be mistaken as our weakness,” Sharif said in a statement in Pakistan capital Islamabad.
“Our valiant forces are fully capable of defending the territorial integrity of the country.”