India and Pakistan exchange fire in Kashmir

Indian and Pakistani troops traded gunfire over their border in the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, killing at least four civilians and worsening tensions between the longtime rivals, officials on both sides have said. The small-arms and mortar exchanges – which Indian officials called the worst violation of a 2003 ceasefire – also left 18 civilians wounded in India and another three in Pakistan. ‘We have a very serious situation at hand right now,’ said Shantmanu, an Indian administrator in the area. He said there was panic among people living close to the border. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes on both sides since the violence erupted on Sunday night. In total, nine civilians in Pakistan and seven in India have been killed in the last three nights of fighting, officials said.