India Says Two Soldiers Killed By Pakistani Troops

Indian security posts along its disputed border with Pakistan, known as the Line of Control.

India's military says two of its soldiers were shot dead by Pakistani troops near the Line of Control that divides the disputed region of Kashmir.

Indian officials said a gun battle erupted on January 8 after Pakistani troops crossed the Line of Control into Indian-administered territory.

An Indian army spokesman called the clash a "grave provocation."

Pakistan's army denied it launched an unprovoked attack.

The deaths on January 8 come two days after Pakistan said that one of its soldiers had been killed when Indian troops attacked a Pakistani checkpoint near the Line of Control.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir since their 1947 independence from British colonial rule -- the latest in 1999.

Skirmishes continue despite a 2003 ceasefire, but deaths are now rare.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and the BBC