It marked the first fatalities for Pakistani troops since Wednesday, when tensions dramatically escalated between the nuclear-armed neighbors over Kashmir, which is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety. Police said Saturday that the fighting began Thursday night in a forested area in the northwestern Handwara area after Indian troops surrounded the area on a tip that militants were hiding there. She cannot travel to Indian-controlled Kashmir because of recent suspension of a key bus service by New Delhi. The official, Umar Azam, said Saturday that Pakistani troops are “befittingly” responding to the Indian fire. ___9:45 a.m.Officials say two siblings and their mother have been killed in cross-border shelling between Indian and Pakistani soldiers in disputed Kashmir.

Source: Washington Post March 02, 2019 04:37 UTC