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India Attacks Pakistan Posts in Kashmir Ahead of Powell's Trip
SRINAGAR, India, Oct 15 (News Agencies) - India on Monday launched artillery attacks against Pakistan-controlled Kashmir as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Islamabad for talks on military action in Afghanistan and the Kashmir dispute.
One woman was killed and 25 civilians were injured in the attacks, according to Pakistan authorities, who immediately demanded that New Delhi call a halt to "state-sponsored terrorism".
Indian defense officials said 11 Islamic fighters were killed as their gunners attacked at least 11 Pakistani posts across the southern borders of Indian-administered Kashmir, breaking weeks of relative peace across the disputed Himalayan border.
U.S. President George W. Bush immediately called on the nuclear rivals to "stand down" for the sake of regional stability as U.S.-led forces bomb the Taliban militia in neighboring Afghanistan in a bid to stamp out alleged terrorist networks there.
The incident came just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived here at the start of a trip to Pakistan and India designed to shore up their mutual support for the war on terrorism and ease tensions over Kashmir.
According to Indian military officials, the attacks "surprised" the Pakistani troops and caused widespread damage to their positions.
"Our operations lasted for one hour and in all five posts were destroyed or damaged in Jammu sector and six more in the sector of Poonch," said Indian military commander in Kashmir, Brigadier P.C. Das.
"This is a warning against Pakistan for arming and funding militants in Kashmir. This is to tell them [the Pakistani army] that they cannot go on with this anymore," the Indian commander told Agence France Presse (AFP).
He added that his forces had not crossed the Line of Control (LoC) - an imaginary border that divides the two parts of Kashmir, which has been the cause of two of the three wars between India and Pakistan since 1947.
India's defense ministry in a statement said the cross-border attacks were a success.
"The Indian army today launched successful punitive operations against Pakistan army for its repeated involvement in abetting terrorist activities across the LoC in response to Pakistan's regular troop support to the infiltration."
Defense ministry officials in New Delhi told AFP the cross-border exchanges were "intense", and warned Pakistan should be ready to "stomach more".
Other sources indicated Pakistan was able to return fire, despite Indian claims of extensive damage.
In Islamabad, Pakistani spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi condemned the action and called for international action against India.
"Twenty-five civilians were wounded and a woman was martyred when the Indians started unprovoked and unjustified firing in two sectors.
"It's high time the world and the United States declares India a state which sponsors terrorism. The firing was totally unjustified and they were clearly trying to kill civilians."
Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes, who was reinstated Monday after quitting earlier this year due to allegations of corruption in defense deals, said India planned to intensify attacks in Kashmir.
New Delhi has said it welcomes Powell's visit, but rules out any role for the U.S. in defusing tension with Pakistan over Kashmir.
Cross-border artillery duels between the rival armies in Kashmir are frequent occurrences, with both sides usually accusing the other of starting attacks across the LoC.
Exchanges tailed off recently after the collapse of an India-Pakistan summit in July this year, although tensions in the region have remained high.
Earlier on Monday police confirmed that 19 people had been killed in the latest violence between Muslims and occupation forces in Indian-held Kashmir.
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