ISLAMABAD - Pakistan blamed Indian troops for the death of a civilian Monday as the border dispute intensified between the two nuclear-armed countries.
A Pakistani official said Indian troops “resorted to unprovoked firing” in the early hours in the Battal, Chirikot and Satwal sectors of the Line of Control – the 445-mile border that divides the disputed Kashmir province.
"A civilian named Muhammad Zubair has been killed due to unprovoked Indian shelling,” the official added.
The current round of fighting is one of the most intense since a 2003 ceasefire. Last week, five Indian soldiers were ambushed and killed in the area.
A spokesman for the Indian Defense Ministry disputed Pakistan’s claim, telling Reuters than Indian posts had come under heavy mortar and automatic weapon fire overnight in the same area and that India "responded effectively."
The spokesman said no damage or injuries were reported on the Indian side. The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir was split between India and Pakistan in 1948 but they both claim it in its entirety.
Meanwhile the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is due to arrive in Islamabad for Tuesday a two day visit to Pakistan.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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