Kashmir: Indian Army Fired On From Pakistan Side of Border, 1 Dead in Shrine Protests

by Vinny | August 6, 2008 at 04:49 am
979 views | 67 Recommendations | 28 comments

Update: USA Today are reporting the Indian army are now saying todays violation of the ceasefire the third in two weeks was by Pakistani troops firing a machine gun. The Indian army returned fire in the incident that lasted about 15 minutes. No casualties have been reported on either side and the Pakistan army deny firing first.

In other news from Kashmir 1 person has been killed today by Indian troops in the ongoing protests about a Hindu shrine.

India and Pakistan have fought 3 wars over Kashmir.

SRINAGAR, India, Aug 6 (Reuters) - The Indian army said its troops came under fire on Wednesday from across a military control line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan. The shooting took place in north Kashmir's Nowgam sector, where the two armies exchanged fire for 16 hours last week in the worst violation of a 2003 ceasefire. "Our military post briefly came under small arms fire," Indian army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel A. K. Mathur said.
Last weeks violation of the ceasefire claimed the lives of 5 soldiers.
The renewed hostilities between India and Pakistan on the disputed Kashmir border last week, which claimed the lives of five soldiers, bring into focus the underlying cause of the instability affecting the region.
Other news from Kashmir today
The army in Indian Kashmir opened fire Wednesday at hundreds of stone-throwing Hindu protesters angry over a government decision to not transfer land to a Hindu shrine, killing one person, an official said. Two other protesters were injured in the clash at Pullimore, a village on the outskirts of Jammu city, Ramesh Kumar, a police officer said.
The Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, was today holding emergency talks with both allies and opponents in an attempt to end rioting in Indian Kashmir that has killed 14 people. Violence flared in the Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir last month when its government reversed a decision to hand over 100 acres of land to Hindus for their pilgrimage to a high-altitude shrine. The Amarnath shrine board, members of which resigned today, said it wanted to erect huts and toilets for pilgrims.
Via Vinny's Website

recommend This comment thread is now closed
Sanjay Jha
Sanjay Jha
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:40 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff. As per Indian Televisio News channel Pakistan Army has violated ceasefire and fired upon Indian side three times in last 2 weeks.This is grave matter for both countries.

0
Vinny

I agree Sanjay this is a grave matter for both sides, the last thing both countries need is a fourth war over this region now that they are both nuclear powers.


Thanks for the flag.

Barry Artiste
Barry Artiste
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:53 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Rhonda J Mangus
Rhonda J Mangus
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:57 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff.

0
Vinny

Many thanks for the flags Rhonda and Barry.

rumana husain
rumana husain
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:19 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff. quite right. but not even 'the last thing' we need. don't need it at all, if you know what i mean.

0
Vinny

I know what you mean Rumana, thanks for the flag.

PEP
PEP
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:40 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff.

0
Vinny

Thanks PEP.

Fairbanks
Fairbanks
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:50 on August 6th, 2008

One of these days it will get out of hand. 

0
Vinny

I hope you are wrong Fairbanks but fear you could be right! thanks for the flag.

René
René
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:56 on August 6th, 2008

Sad that this beautiful country is coveted by its neighbor so violently.

0
Vinny

It is a beautiful region Rene, one of the videos I added shows that rather than the ongoing conflict, many thanks for the flag.

politisite
politisite
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 07:39 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff. Not Good


0
Vinny

Thanks Al, like you say "Not Good".

rahul
rahul
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:19 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff. More background information on recent problems at the Indian Pakistan border:

Pakistan's problems spill into India
By Sudha Ramachandran

BANGALORE - India-Pakistan relations touched a new low last week when the Nowgam sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir that divides the two countries resounded to the rattle of intermittent gunfire over a period of 16 hours. For the first time since their incursion at Kargil in 1999 that resulted in armed hostilities, Pakistani soldiers entered about 100 meters into Indian territory. The incident, though, might have more to do with Pakistani domestic issues than hostility towards India.  All the same, the battles across the LoC have put the five-year-old India-Pakistan ceasefire under fresh pressure. The ceasefire has held for much of the time since it came into effect along the entire India-Pakistan frontier in November 2003.   According to reports in the Indian media, fighting broke out on July 28 in the Nowgam sector when Pakistani soldiers called for a parley with Indian soldiers at Eagle 5 to protest what they called an illegal Indian surveillance post. The Indians refused to vacate the post, a verbal duel broke out, which quickly escalated into a shootout and an Indian soldier was killed. Before long, the LoC was alive with the sound of intermittent shelling and gunfire.

0
Vinny

Thanks Rahul for your contribution to this story and the flag.

Amy Judd
Amy Judd
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:53 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Great videos too - they really add to the story.

0
Vinny

Thanks Amy.

Mon-Mage
Mon-Mage
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:10 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff. After all the turmoil that Pakistan went through to get a democratic government and after the findings of the Pakistani intelligence agency funding and coordinating terrorist attacks this the last thing that they ought to do.

0
Vinny

Thanks for your comment and flag Mon-Mage.

azzayindia
azzayindia
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:47 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff.

when will peace reign in the region

0
Vinny

Thanks azzayindia, good question!

0
World_Groove

What is fascinating to me about Kashmir is that Pakistan and India battle over it all the time, yet China which has a good bite of it which is not recognized by India has no troubles. Isn't India brazen enough to go poking around "that" parties disputed region ?


Of the two regions claimed by Pakistan, India disputes Both. Pakistan only disputes one of India's a very small region the Siachen glacier in the northern areas that borders Chinese and the Indian controlled Kashmir.

0
PEP

I posted too quickly. I wanted to say that it's nice to see a story so well-sourced and so accredited in its source material.



Jordan Yerman
Jordan Yerman
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:57 on August 6th, 2008

Vinny, I like this story. It's good stuff.

0
Sameer Khan

Kashmir should be an independent state.good for both parties.

0
Sameer Khan

Maharaja Hari Singh had wanted Kashmir to remain independent, but merged with India in exchange for military support and the promise of a referendum on independence, which has never been held. As a result of the unresolved dispute between two countries.

This story was created over 3 months ago, the comment thread is now closed.

closeSign in to NowPublic

is reporting from