ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -Three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one Indian trooper was hurt in an exchange of fire by the rival militaries across their sensitive border in disputed Kashmir, authorities said on Thursday.
Both sides accused each other of starting the hostilities in the first deadly incident across the de facto border in the Himalayan region in more than three months.
The incident comes as tentative diplomatic steps were being taken to make peace between India and Pakistan, who have fought two of their three wars over Muslim-majority Kashmir.
Cross-border fire breaks out sporadically across the border known as the Line of Control and each side usually accuses the other of starting it.
Pakistan army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said that the Pakistani soldiers had been moving between posts when they got lost in bad weather in the Neelum River valley before the gunfire started.
"There was a fire exchange between the two sides. This was started by the Indian side - completely unprovoked firing, breaking the cease-fire, and after search of 24 hours their bodies were recovered," he said.
Indian army spokesman J.S. Brar said the Pakistanis shot first.
"There was a cease-fire violation by Pakistani troops in (northern) Keran sector that left our soldier injured," he said from India-controlled Kashmir.
The injured soldier was taken to an Indian army base hospital in Srinagar, the capital of India-controlled Kashmir, he said, adding that he had no knowledge of Pakistani casualties.
Abbas said a meeting had been requested with local Indian commanders and that the deadly incident was under investigation.
India and Pakistan agreed to a cease-fire along the Line of Control in 2003, and a year later launched talks aimed at brokering a regional peace.
The process was suspended by India following the 2008 Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people and which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants.
Pakistan denies Indian allegations that it helps insurgents in disputed Kashmir.
The latest incident came after Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart, Hina Rabbani Khar, met in New Delhi last month and both vowed to fight militancy, boost trade and sustain the peace process.
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