Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged gunfire overnight along the Line of Control (LOC) that separates the two countries in contested Kashmir for a second day in a row, the Indian army said on Saturday.
It said “unprovoked” small arms fire was carried out by “multiple” Pakistan army posts “all across the Line of Control in Kashmir” overnight from Friday to Saturday.
“Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms,” it said in a statement. “No casualties reported.”
There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan, but the two sides had confirmed gunfire between their respective forces the previous night.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was ready to defend the country after the deadly attack. He also called for a "neutral investigation".
Relations between the nuclear-armed rivals have plunged to their lowest level in years. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of supporting “cross-border terrorism” after gunmen on Tuesday killed 26 men in the worst attack on civilians in India-administered Kashmir for a quarter of a century.
Islamabad denies involvement and calls attempts to link Pakistan to the attack at Pahalgam “frivolous”.
The UN has urged the neighbours, who have fought several wars in the past, to show “maximum restraint”.
US President Donald Trump has played down the tensions, saying the dispute will get “figured out, one way or another”.
On Saturday UAE President Sheikh Mohamed spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed his condolences over the victims of the terrorist attack, wishing a swift recovery for the injured, Wam reported. He also reaffirmed the UAE’s rejection of terrorism in all its forms, describing it as a threat to security and stability in society and to international peace and security.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. Both claim the territory in full but govern separate portions of it.
Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.
