- JAMMU (Reuters) - The Indian
army has deployed troops on its border with Pakistan in the northern states
of Kashmir and Punjab in response to a Pakistani troop build up across
the frontier, a defence official said on Thursday.
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- Tensions between the two South Asian nuclear neighbours
have risen sharply since last week's attack on India's parliament which
New Delhi blamed on two Pakistan-based separatist groups.
-
- The bitter foes exchanged overnight mortar and heavy
machinegun fire across a ceasefire line dividing the bitterly disputed
Himalayan region of Kashmir.
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- "Yes, redeployment of troops along with equipment
has taken place in the Chenab-Ravi corridor since Wednesday and this
concentration
in the area is in response to Pakistan's buildup across the international
border," the defence spokesman told Reuters.
-
- Until now, paramilitary Border Security Force soldiers
were the only ones guarding the border in the Chenab-Ravi area, which
stretches
for around 600 km from Jammu in the southern part of Kashmir to the state
of Punjab.
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- Army chief General S. Padmanabhan said on Tuesday that
India had responded in an appropriate manner to a build-up of Pakistani
troops on their side of the border.
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- New Delhi, which has accused Pakistan of trying to wipe
out the country's top political leadership in the parliament attack, has
said that all options were open as it considered a response to the
assault.
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- Islamabad, which denies any involvement in the parliament
attack, has vowed to retaliate against any military strike.
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