India is accusing Pakistan of deliberately shelling civilian areas on its side of the International Border (IB) in Kashmir even as the death toll in the unrelenting exchanges of fire reached about 38 persons on both sides from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2.
The rising death toll and the daily bombardments and machine gun fire has greatly increased the possibility of a full scale border war between both nuclear-armed rivals. Some civilians on both sides told media there already is a war. The only thing left is to formally declare one.
Pakistani border troops are continuing to shell Indian civilian areas along the IB with heavy mortar fire, claims Inspector General D.K. Upadhyay of India's Border Security Force (BSF). He also said the Pakistan Army is lending full support to Pakistan Rangers that are shelling and firing at Indian civilians.
"Pakistani forces are firing heavy mortars deliberately towards Indian civilian areas. The BSF never fires towards any Pakistani civilian area. We fire only towards military bunkers from where Pakistani forces fire. We have inflicted heavy damage on 14 Pakistani bunkers," he said.
IG Upadhyay showed photos of the BSF firing that targeted military bunkers in Pakistan.
Media reports counted eight people, including four women, killed and 22 injured on Nov. 1 as Pakistani troops targeted civilian areas in Jammu. Because of the daily clashes, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered the closure of all the 400 schools along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC).
Eight civilians, including two children, were killed after Pakistani artillery bombarded two areas on Nov. 2, Indian officials said. Pakistan said Indian gunfire killed six civilians on its side on Nov. 1 while India said one of its soldiers and a civilian were killed on the same day. Indian army sources claimed it killed two Pakistani soldiers on Nov. 2.
Shelling across the de-facto border has caused a "tragic humanitarian crisis", the Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
She called on both sides to calm the violence along the Line of Control (LoC), which has seen intense exchanges of fire between the Indian and Pakistani military.
An Indian soldier and civilian were killed Oct. 31, said reports. Six people were killed in Nakyal and Tatta Pani sectors on the Pakistani side on Oct. 28 and 29, said Pakistan.