Srinagar: Three Pakistan Army soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian troops near the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) sources were quoted by Dawn.

“Three Pakistani soldiers valiantly embraced shahadat at the Line of Control while responding to Indian unprovoked firing,” the ISPR sources were quoted by the newspaper website.

The army’s media wing identified the soldiers as Captain Taimoor Ali Khan, Havaldar Mushtaq Hussain and Lance Naik Ghulam Hussain, the report added.

An ISPR statement also said that seven Indian soldiers confirmed dead in retaliatory fire, the report said, adding that the exchange of fire between Pakistani and Indian troops is ongoing.

“It may be mentioned here that in order to distract attention from the real issue of atrocities in India-held Kashmir by Indian troops, they are now targeting civilians population across the LoC towards the Pakistan side,” the ISPR claimed according to the report.

Earlier today, Indian troops targeted a passenger bus near the LoC, killing nine people and injuring 11 others in Lawat, Pakistan media reported earlier.

In a separate incident of Indian shelling in Nakyal and Tatta Pani, one person was killed and seven others injured, the report said.

The latest incident of cross-border firing comes just a day after the Indian army claimed three of its soldiers were killed along the LoC and threatened Pakistani forces of retribution.

The Indian army also claimed that the body of one of the dead soldiers had been “mutilated.”

ttention away from atrocities committed by government forces in India-held Kashmir.

Pakistan and India have, most recently, locked horns over Kashmir since Indian forces stepped up a crackdown against protesters after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by government forces in July.