JAMMU, Indian-ruled Kashmir (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fresh mortar and heavy machinegun fire on Monday as New Delhi expelled a Pakistani diplomat, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed enemies ever higher. (Read photo caption below)
The two hostile neighbors have reinforced positions on either side of their border in Kashmir since a December 13 suicide attack on the Indian parliament which New Delhi blamed on two Pakistan-based militant groups.
A senior Pakistani army officer said the situation was ''highly explosive'' and continued border clashes could spark an uncontrollable flareup involving nuclear weapons.
India said it had destroyed Pakistani bunkers in exchanges of fire on Monday. Pakistan denied that, accusing Indian forces of targeting civilians, killing two and wounding four others.
India expelled the diplomat from New Delhi for what it called actions ``inconsistent with the legitimate sphere of activities.'' ``He should leave the country within a week,'' foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao told reporters.
Indian-ruled Kashmir's revenue and relief minister, Abdul Qayoom, said hundreds of panic-stricken people had begun migrating from border areas following an exchange of fire which killed three border guards over the weekend.
``We have destroyed some of their bunkers even today as the two sides exchanged artillery, mortar and heavy machinegun fire at some places along the Line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch sectors,'' an Indian defense official said.
A Pakistani army spokesman called that report baseless. He said two male civilians had been killed and four wounded by Indian artillery fire on Chirikot village in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir's Bagh district.
Local sources in the eastern garrison town of Sialkot said the Pakistani army had moved most troops from there to the border with India and also deployed anti-aircraft weapons.
PHOTTO CAPTION:
A crowd of Indian residents gather to watch the Pakistani and Indian border security forces perform their daily flag lowering ceremonies at the Wagah border between the rival nations, near Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, December 24, 2001. Tensions between the two nuclear power nation have risen since the December 13 suicide attack on the Indian parliament. (Mian Khursheed/Reuters)