3 Pakistani troops killed in fresh border clash

KARACHI, Pakistan

At least three Pakistani soldiers were killed in a clash with Indian border guards on the disputed Kashmir border, the military said Tuesday.

The incident, the latest in a series of border clashes between the two nuclear neighbors in recent years, occurred in the Rawlakot sector’s Rakhchakri area along the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border that divides the disputed Himalayan valley between the two countries, after a break of only a couple of weeks.

"Three brave sons of the soil laid down their lives in the line of duty [as] Indian troops resorted to unprovoked fire in the Rakhchakri, Rawalakot sector along the LoC,” said a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army's media wing.

One soldier was also injured in the clash, the ISPR said.

"The Pakistan army responded effectively. [There are] reports of casualties on the Indian side,” it added.

The two longtime rivals have been locked in diplomatic and military tensions following a suicide attack on an army convoy in Indian- administered Kashmir in February that killed more than 40 Indian troops.

New Delhi accuses Islamabad of colluding with militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which reportedly claimed responsibility for the brazen attack. Pakistan denied the charge.

Tensions mounted further after Indian jets intruded into Pakistan's airspace and bombed a suspected militant hideout near the border in February. The next day, Pakistan’s air force downed two jets and captured a pilot, who was later released.