Pakistan decries cross-border fire

SRINAGAR, Aug 19 (AP): Pakistan said Indian troops fired across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region, killing two civilians and wounding another, as some security restrictions were lifted on Monday in the main city of Srinagar.

Pakistan and Indian often exchange fire in the Himalayan region, but tensions have increased since Aug. 5, when New Delhi changed the status of Indian-administered Kashmir, which is split between the nuclear-armed rivals and claimed by both.

Restrictions were eased in parts of Srinagar, where schools for students from preschool to fifth grade were set to reopen after a two-week security lockdown.

But six grade schools in the city were found closed on Monday morning, with no school administrators or students in sight.

"Why would I risk sending my kids to school when the government is uncertain about the security situation?" said Srinagar resident Mohammed Latief, whose children are in the first and third grades.

Paramilitary soldiers armed with assault rifles stood guard at checkpoints, allowing a trickle of vehicular and pedestrian traffic to pass. Many shops and offices remained closed.

The security crackdown and a news blackout were imposed following the decision by India's Hindu nationalist-led government to downgrade the Muslim-majority region's autonomy.