ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday three of its soldiers were killed in a cross-border exchange of fire in the contested Kashmir region, but India denied that five of its troops died too.
Major General Asif Ghafoor, spokesman of Pakistan armed forces, tweeted that its three soldiers had died along with five of India’s when Indian forces opened fire along the contested border known as the Line of Control (LOC).
“Intermittent exchange of fire continues,” Ghafoor said.
An Indian army spokesman denied that. “No casualties. This assertion is wrong,” the spokesman said.
In a statement, the Indian army said that from around 0700 local time Pakistan violated a cease-fire between the two nations.
The flare-up comes during a period of high friction between the nuclear-armed neighbors, after India revoked special status for the portion of Muslim-majority Kashmir it controls, angering Pakistan which also has claims on the region.
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir and engaged in an aerial clash in February after a militant group based in Pakistan claimed responsibility for an attack on an Indian military convoy.
Pakistan says three soldiers killed in Kashmir clash
Pakistan says three soldiers killed in Kashmir clash
- Pakistan army spokesman said five Indian soldiers also killed when Indian forces opened fire along the Line of Control
- An Indian army spokesman said “No casualties. This assertion is wrong.”
Pakistan warns of landslides, avalanche in hilly areas, urges caution
- At least nine people were killed when an avalanche struck a house in Chitral district this week
- Heavy snowfall may trigger road closures in several areas from Jan. 26 to 27, Met Office says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Sunday warned of possible landslides and avalanches in hilly regions in the country’s north, urging residents, travelers and tourists to exercise caution.
Cloudy weather with intermittent rain, thunderstorm and snowfall is expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and upper Punjab, while heavy rain with moderate to intense snowfall are likely in hilly areas on Jan. 26-27. Rain or thunderstorms are also likely in southern Punjab and upper Sindh during this period.
Heavy snowfall may cause road closure, slippery conditions in Naran, Kaghan, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Chitral, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Astore, Hunza, Skardu, Murree, Galliyat, Neelum valley, Bagh, Poonch, Haveli, Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Noushki, Harnai and Zhob, according to the PMD.
“[There is a] possibility of the landslides/avalanche in hilly areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and [Azad] Kashmir during the period,” the Met Office said in a statement.
“Tourists are advised to remain extra cautious and avoid unnecessary traveling during the forecast period.”
The PMD statement came two days after at least nine people were killed while an injured child was rescued after an avalanche struck a house in KP’s Chitral district, according to officials.
Rescuers evacuated dozens of residents and tourists as heavy snow blocked roads in Khyber, South Waziristan and Swat districts, where authorities cleared routes and provided food, clothing and bedding, the Rescue 1122 service said.
Tens of thousands of tourists flock to Pakistan’s scenic north every winter to witness snowfall, often neglecting warnings from disaster management authorities.
In Jan. 2022, at least 21 people, including children, died after they were stuck in freezing temperatures during a snowstorm in the Pakistani hill station of Murree.
