India: Four Soldiers Killed After Pakistani Firing In Disputed Kashmir

FILE: An Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldier keeps guard at border with Pakistan.

The Indian Army says four of its soldiers were killed when Pakistani forces fired across the de facto border in the disputed region of Kashmir.

The Indian Army said in a statement on December 23 that Pakistani forces fired on Indian posts in the Rajouri sector, calling it an "unprovoked cease-fire violation."

The statement said that the dead included an army officer.

There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan.

Following the incident, heavy cross-border firing and shelling was reported at several locations along the border.

Pakistani and Indian troops routinely clash along the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan claim the divided Kashmir region in its entirety and have fought two wars over it.

India-administered Kashmir has faced a violent secessionist movement since the late 1980s that has resulted in the deaths of more than 44,000 people.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa