An Indian soldier died and another was wounded today when Pakistani forces fired artillery shells across the ceasefire line dividing the Himalayan Kashmir region, police said.
The firing between the nuclear-armed foes was the latest to be reported since Pakistan President Mr Pervez Musharraf pledged on Saturday to ensure his country's soil was not used as a base for terrorist attacks against India.
The Indian army has often accused the Pakistan army of firing across the ceasefire line or Line of Control to give cover to guerrillas crossing into state of Jammu and Kashmir to join a revolt there against Indian rule. Pakistan, in turn, has often blamed India for starting the shooting.
"A soldier, Sanjeev Kumar, was killed and another injured when an artillery shell fired by Pakistani troops exploded near Churunda area in Uri [and] our troops retaliated with artillery fire," a police official said. Uri lies 100 kilometres west of Srinagar, Kashir's summer capital.
The two armies have often fired across Line of Control since tensions soared between New Delhi and Islamabad after an attack December 13th on the Indian parliament that India blamed on Pakistan-based rebels battling its rule in Kashmir.
Pakistan has detained hundreds of militants from banned groups in its biggest-ever crackdown on Islamic extremists.
The mass detentions came just before and after a key speech by Mr Musharraf on Saturday in which he delivered a delicately balanced message to ease Indian anger without appearing to give in to his giant neighbour.