At least 20 dead in latest India-Pakistan row over Kashmir

India officials say about 15,000 villagers have fled to relief camps amid heavy shelling.

Indian residents bring a youth thought to have been injured in a cross-border exchange between Pakistani and Indian troops to a medical facility in Jammu on Wednesday

New Delhi:  Cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan has killed at least 20 people and displaced thousands since the latest round of hostilities broke out more than a week ago, government officials from both countries said.

At least 10 Pakistani civilians were killed and 42 injured in firing across parts of the disputed northern Kashmir region and eastern Punjab province. Indian officials confirmed to ucanews.com that at least 10 civilian had died as a result of intense fighting.

In India, about 15,000 people have fled their homes in towns and villages and are staying in relief camps administered by the government.

Bharat Bhushan, 49, fled Arnia township on October 4 after heavy shelling occurred near his home.

"It appeared to be a bomb which I thought had fallen next to my house," Bhushan, whose home rests about three kilometers from the India-Pakistan border, said over the phone.

"We saw several mortar bomb shells with markings of '81' and 'Pakistan ordnance factory,'" he told ucanews.com.

Gulshan Kumar, 35, who remained in Arnia to guard against looting, said shelling from Pakistan continued into Thursday morning.

"The fire from Pakistan continues; the last mortar fire hit the town at about 8am today," he said by telephone from Arnia.

Ajeet Kuman Sahu, Jammu deputy commissioner, told ucanews.com that 10 people have been killed and 71 injured from shelling and gunfire along the disputed international border that separates India and Pakistan.

Both countries have accused the other of initiating the latest conflict and have vowed to not stand down until the other side stops firing.

Fighting between Indian forces and rebels seeking independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan has killed tens of thousands – mostly civilians – since 1989. The two countries have gone to war over the territory twice, in 1947 and 1965, and fought a smaller-scale conflict in 1999.

Girdhari Lal, a local trader from Arnia, said it was painful for villagers to live like refugees on their own land.

"We are fed up with all this; we request the Indian government to settle this conflict once and for all," Girdhari said.

Source: ucanews.com