India accuses Pakistan of killing and mutilating soldiers

SRINAGAR, India: Pakistani troops killed two Indian soldiers in disputed Kashmir on Monday and mutilated their bodies, India's army said, calling it a "despicable act".
In a statement, the army said Pakistan's border force attacked a patrol operating between two border posts on the de facto frontier known as the Line of Control in the remote Himalayan region.
"In an unsoldierly act by the Pak Army the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated," the statement said, warning of an "appropriate response".
It also accused Pakistan of what it called "unprovoked" rocket and mortar firing across the heavily militarised Line of Control but gave no further details.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947 but both lay claim to the entire territory.
The incident is likely to further raise tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals, who have fought two of their three wars over control of the territory.
The two sides have accused each other in the past of mutilating the bodies of each other's soldiers.
Army spokesman N. N. Joshi said the victims were a junior officer and a border guard.
Another guard from India's Border Security Force was injured in the initial firing from Pakistan, Joshi said. — AFP