Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire across the Line of Control in disputed Kashmir, officials said on April 25 as tensions between the two neighbors continued to increase following the killing of 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Syed Ashfaq Gilani, a government official in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said troops exchanged gunfire overnight along the Line of Control separating the two countries. There were no reports of casualties and no “firing on the civilian population," Gilani was quoted by AFP as saying.
Indian military officers quoted by the Associated Press on condition of anonymity said that Pakistani troops had opened fire on an Indian military post.
SEE ALSO: India, Pakistan Tensions Rise After Tit-For-Tat Moves Following Deadly Kashmir AttackThe officials, who were not authorized to speak to the media, said Indian troops returned fire. They also said there were no reports of casualties in the incident.
India has called the killing of 26 people by gunmen at a Himalayan tourist attraction in Pahalgam a terrorist attack and accused Pakistan of supporting terrorists. Twenty-five of those killed were Indian nationals.
A little-known militant group called The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the on April 22 attack.
Indian police say the gunmen in the attack are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organization. They offered a 2 million rupee ($23,500) bounty for information leading to each man's arrest.
Hundreds of security forces have been deployed to Pahlavi Valley and tight security measures have been put in place.
SEE ALSO: Pakistan's Deportation Drive Sees Mass Exodus Of AfghansA day after the attack, New Delhi suspended a 6-decade-old water-sharing treaty, announced the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew visas for Pakistanis.
Pakistan has denied any involvement and responded with countermeasures of its own on April 24, suspending visas for some Indian nationals and expelling certain Indian diplomats and defense officials from the country.
The Pakistani Senate on April 25 unanimously passed a resolution "against linking the Pahalgam attack to Pakistan."
US President Donald Trump on April 25 commented about the situation for the first time publicly.
"There have been tensions on that border for 1,500 years so, you know, it's the same as it has been. But they'll get it figured out, one way or another." Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.
SEE ALSO: Pakistani Village Reeling From Migrant Boat Disaster, But Smugglers' Routes Abroad Remain A Risk Worth TakingKashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both claiming the territory in full while governing separate portions of it.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a "credible investigation" into the attack and said "India must resist the temptation to exploit such tragic incidents to its advantage."
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif was quoted on April 25 as saying Pakistan is “ready to cooperate” with “any investigation which is conducted by international inspectors.”
Asif told The New York Times in an interview that India had used the aftermath of the attack as a pretext to suspend the water treaty and for domestic political purposes. India is taking steps to punish Pakistan "without any proof, without any investigation," he added.
"We do not want this war to flare up, because flaring up of this war can cause disaster for this region," Asif told the newspaper.