SRINAGAR: India and Pakistan exchanged gunfire across the Kashmir frontier on Saturday, military officials from both countries said, ending a pause in fighting that has already killed 17 civilians in the worst skirmishes in a decade.
Both sides blamed each other for starting the fresh outbreak of fighting.
The Pakistan army confirmed that a 70-year-old village resident Wali Muhammad was injured due to what it called unprovoked firing and shelling by Indian forces in Poonch sector near Rawalkot.
Pakistani troops effectively responded to Indian shelling, a spokesman for the ISPR said in a short statement.
The spokesman warned that every Indian violation on the Line of Control (LoC) and working boundary would meet a befitting response.
Meanwhile, the Indian army blamed the Pakistani military of launching unprovoked fire.
An Indian army official said Pakistan border guards targeted 10 Indian border posts in the Poonch sector.
Our troops retaliated. Heavy firing is going on, he told reporters Saturday afternoon.
Officials alleged that the Pakistan also targeted civilian areas in which a woman was injured. The woman was identified as Salma Bi, a resident of Kerni, who was immediately rushed to District Hospital Poonch. However, no loss of life has been reported so far, they said. The firing continued throughout the day, the officials added.
Locals said at least 10 houses have suffered damage due to Pakistani shelling.
The fresh gunfire exchange resumes fighting after the two armies abruptly stopped Thursday night following nine days of attacking each other with mortars and heavy machine guns.
Indian officials said Pakistani firing has so far killed eight people and wounded around 70 others, while as Pakistani media reported 12 people on their side were killed and over 50 wounded.
Reports said nearly 20,000 people living close to the border have fled to safer places in wake of the heavy firing.
Both sides have blamed the other for triggering a crisis on the border, with Pakistan suggesting that Indias new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was flexing its muscles on the dispute over Kashmir, the cause of two wars.
New Delhi claims Pakistan has ratcheted up tensions to keep alive the 67-year-old dispute and vowed a strong response to any Pakistani attempt to stir up trouble in the Kashmir region.
The two sides agreed a ceasefire in 2003 which has frayed over the past two years.
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