Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has told Indian soldiers in Kashmir that the time had come for a decisive fight. In a worrying move he said his visit to frontline troops at a time of high tension between Pakistan and India should be seen as a signal.
"Whether our neighbor understands this signal or not, whether the world takes account of it or not, history will be witness to this. We shall write a new chapter of victory," he told soldiers in Kupwara, northern Kashmir.
"Let's work for victory. Be prepared for sacrifices. But our aim should be victory. Because it's now time for a decisive fight," he said.
The two sides have massed up to a million troops, backed by fighter jets, missiles and tanks, since India blamed Pakistan-based Kashmiri militants for a suicide raid on India's national parliament last December.
The crisis has hit financial markets in both countries with India's key 30-issue Bombay share index shedding about one percent of its value. Pakistan stocks slid more than four percent.
As Vajpayee continued his tour of Kashmir, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was due to meet his cabinet and top security officials in Islamabad.
The two sides have exchanged heavy mortar and machinegun fire across their border since Friday, forcing hundreds of villagers to move to safety.
Officials have reported 10 deaths in the past two days, including a girl who Pakistani police said was killed by Indian gunners on Wednesday. Each side blames the other for starting the firing.