| Four Pakistani soldiers were killed on Thursday in an exchange of fire with unknown attackers at the border with India in disputed Kashmir, the military said. The soldiers were on a routine patrol along the Line of Control, the de facto border with India, when “unknown miscreants” fired at them, military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP. “Two of our soldiers embraced martyrdom at the spot and two others injured later died at hospital,” Abbas said, adding that three others suffered minor injuries. The attackers were hiding in the thick forest in Hajera sector along the Line of Control when they fired at the troops, he said. Abbas said the soldiers returned fire and afterwards search parties were sent to hunt the attackers. Search parties retrieved the bodies of the martyred soldiers and the injured. ”The fire was not from the Indian bunkers”, a Reuters reports quoting Maj-Gen Abbas said. Associated Press adds: Lt. Col. Shantanu Dass Goswami, an Indian army spokesman, said Indian and Pakistani troops both fired at the attackers, who he said were attempting to infiltrate the Indian side from Pakistan. The fighting lasted about five hours, he said. “There was an information sharing from both the sides to zero in on the militants,” Goswami said. Abbas said the attack took place near the village of Battal along the Line of Control. A rescue party came under fire as well, Abbas added. Militants have been fighting since 1989 to win Kashmir's independence or have the Indian-controlled portion of the predominantly Muslim region merged with Pakistan. More than 68,000 people, most of them civilians, have died since the start of the insurgency |