Indian firing kills 6 Pakistani civilians, injures 46

At least six Pakistani civilians were killed and 46, including 22 women were injured in latest Indian shelling on Friday, the largest casualties on a single day in recent cross-border shelling, the military said.

Several villages along the border came under heavy firing that forced many people to flee, residents said.

"Six civilians embraced 'shahadat' (martyrdom) and 46 were severely injured including 22 females due to India unprovoked firing/shelling on Working Boundary near Sialkot in Chaprar and Harpal sectors," an army statement said.

The statement said that Kanganpur and Bajra Gari are the worst hit villages along the Indian border.

"Pakistani troops are befittingly responding to Indian firing," the statement from the army's Inter-Service Public Relations said.

The injured were shifted to Combined Military Hospital in Sialkot the main city near the border with India.

The latest cross-border shelling has taken place ahead of a meeting of the Pakistan and Indian border officials in New Delhi.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said on Thursday meeting between Director General of Pakistan Rangers and his Indian counterpart will take place in New Delhi next month. Rangers, a paramilitary force, perform duties along the borders with India in Punjab and eastern Sindh province.

The spokesman told his weekly briefing that the officials will discuss ceasefire violations at the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir and the Working Boundary.

Pakistan called off talks with India this week over what it called "pre-conditions" by India.

Pakistan and India accuse each other of the 2003 ceasefire violations. Guns had been relatively silent since the ceasefire; however, both sides occasionally exchange fires. An escalation has been seen in recent weeks that mostly caused civilian casualties.

Both routinely accuse each other of ceasefire violations.

Pakistan insists there have been over 70 ceasefire violations from the Indian side of the LoC and the Working Boundary so far this month.
Source: XINHUA