Indian soldier killed in Kashmir border shooting

SRINAGAR: An Indian soldier was killed when Pakistani troops allegedly fired across the border in divided Kashmir, an Indian paramilitary official said Sunday.

The cross-border firing breached more than a year of calm along the militarised border in the Himalayan region.

A Border Security Force (BSF) official said the incident occurred late Saturday in Indian Kashmir's Suchetgarh region.

"Pakistani snipers fired when a BSF party was on patrolling duty," said the Indian officer, who did not wish to be named.

BSF troopers retaliated, leading to a brief exchange of gunfire. It was not immediately known if Pakistani soldiers suffered casualties.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Muslim-majority Kashmir, held in part by each but claimed in full by both.

They agreed to a ceasefire along a de-facto border in 2003 and a year later launched talks aimed at brokering a regional peace.

An insurgency against New Delhi's rule in Indian Kashmir has left more than 47,000 people dead since 1989, according to an official count. Pakistan denies Indian allegations that it helps insurgents in disputed Kashmir.