India, Pakistan Exchange Fire as Powell Visits

30/04/2001| IslamWeb

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - India and Pakistan exchanged fire across the border in disputed Kashmir Monday as the U.S. secretary of state began a swing through the region, prompting Washington to ask the nuclear rivals ``to stand down.'' (Read photo caption below) A senior Indian army official said troops had launched heavy mortar bomb fire at Pakistani posts across the line of control in Kashmir to try to stop cross-border infiltration.
``We have engaged posts which have actively abetted, facilitated and were involved in assisting the trans-border terrorist movement into India,'' Brigadier P.C. Das told Reuters by telephone from Jammu, the winter capital of the state.
Das said the decision to fire at the Pakistani posts was taken after 11 militants were killed trying to cross the border into the Indian-controlled sector Sunday.
Pakistan said the ``unprovoked firing'' by India had killed one woman and wounded 25 people in two sectors of the Himalayan region it controls.
The firing came on the day when Secretary of State Colin Powell began a swing through Pakistan and India for talks on Afghanistan and the simmering dispute over Kashmir.
Official Indian sources told Reuters that reports of firing were ``baseless'' and an attempt to ``sully the atmosphere on the eve of the Secretary of States' visit.''
Powell arrived in Pakistan Monday and was due to visit New Delhi Tuesday for talks with Indian officials.
PHOTO CAPTION:
A Kashmiri cyclist avoids the smoke from a burning tire during a protest in Srinagar, October 15, 2001. Police fired teargas and bullets into the air at several places in Srinagar to disperse Kashmiri protesters demonstrating against the U.S. led air strikes on Afghanistan. (Fayaz Kabli/Reuters)