Indian Army pays tribute to martyred soldiers

Soldiers and officers of the Indian Army paid their tribute to two jawans who were martyred in an encounter with Pakistan soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir.

The body of one of the soldiers was found 'badly mutilated' in a forested area along the Line of Control (LoC)

Earlier in the day, India summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner to New Delhi, Salman Bashir to register a protest over the killing of two soldiers.

Giving details, Deputy General Officer commanding (GOC) Brigadier, J.K. Tiwari confirmed firing from the Pakistani side.

"Our area domination patrol vehicle was travelling from one post to another along the Line of Control (LOC). Midway, there was unprovoked firing from across the border for over half an hour. There was fire exchange and it subsided. Two of our scouts were found dead during search operation," said Brigadier Tiwari on Wednesday (January 09).

Firing and small skirmishes between the two countries are common along the 740-km (460-mile) LoC despite a ceasefire and slowly improving bilateral ties. The Indian army says eight of its soldiers were killed in 2012, in 75 incidents.

However, incursions by troops from either side are rare, and one media report said Tuesday's (January 08) incident marked the 'first major ingress' since the ceasefire was agreed in 2003.

Pakistan has denied the latest Indian allegations. A Pakistani military spokesman said they were "propaganda" aimed at diverting attention away from a clash along the LoC two days earlier in which Pakistan had said one of its soldiers was killed after an Indian incursion.

India denies that its troops crossed over the line during last weekend's incident.