Indian soldier killed in alleged Kashmir sniper fire

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - An Indian border guard was killed Tuesday in alleged sniper fire from the Pakistani side of the border in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian media reported.

The daily Indian Express identified the guard as Vinay Prasad, an officer with the Indian Border Security Forces. He died of his injuries at a hospital, the daily said.

The incident happened along the border in the Kathua district of the disputed region.

Sporadic cross-border skirmishes in Jammu and Kashmir have killed hundreds of people over the years.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.

Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.