Attack in Kashmir threatens India-Pakistan peace talks

NEW DELHI — Five Indian soldiers were killed Tuesday morning in divided Kashmir along the de facto border between India and Pakistan by men dressed in Pakistan military uniforms, Indian officials said, an attack that could undermine efforts by the two countries to ease tensions and resume peace talks.

Skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the so-called Line of Control, or LoC, occur periodically, but Tuesday’s killings was the most deadly in recent memory.

"We strongly condemn the incident,” Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told parliament, adding that Pakistani incursion attempts are up 80% this year. “We're ready to take all steps to protect the LoC."

The killings in India’s Poonch area of divided Kashmir come three days after an attack on the Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad that some analysts said appeared to be a Pakistan-backed militant attack. Pakistan has denied any involvement in either attack.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that reports of a Pakistani military role in the latest shooting incident are “baseless and unfounded allegations,” adding that Pakistan remains committed to a 2003 ceasefire agreement and further engagement with India.

The political fallout from recent incidents could hamper efforts to improve relations, in keeping with a campaign pledge by recently elected Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who called on both countries as recently as Monday to cut defense spending in the interest of peace.

As news of the latest attack spread, both houses of India’s parliament were suspended briefly after raucous opposition lawmakers accused the government of being soft on terrorism.

Indian and Pakistani officials are scheduled to meet later this month to discuss water rights in advance of a planned meeting of their prime ministers in late September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Those meetings could be jeopardized.

“It is a sad incident,” Indian state home minister R.P.N. Singh told reporters in New Delhi. “If Pakistan wants better ties with India then this is not the way.”

Indian analysts said the recent provocations follow a decades-old pattern whenever relations improve in which a group of Pakistanis with vested interests attempt to derail peace efforts. “Hardliners don’t want any let-up,” said Ramesh C. Chopra, an analyst and retired major general. “They don’t want any peace coming to the Kashmir valley.”

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