Civilians welcome lull in Kashmir fighting

Fighting between Indian and Pakistani forces paused on Friday after days of heavy shelling and gunbattles across the Line of Control in Kashmir. The skirmishes have been the worst between the neighbors in more than a decade.

The lull came a day after a heated exchange of rhetoric, with India warning Pakistan it would pay an "unaffordable price" if shelling and machine-gun fire continued, and Islamabad saying it was capable of responding "fittingly" to aggression.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with army chiefs and advisers on Friday over clashes this week.

A statement after the meeting said Pakistan was resolved to respond to any attempts to challenge its territorial integrity and sovereignty "with full force" and that its military was "fully prepared to deal with any adversity at our borders".

Nine Pakistani and eight Indian civilians have been killed since both sides' security forces started firing more than a week ago along a 200-kilometer stretch of border in mostly Muslim Kashmir.

"It was calm along the border during the night; there was no firing in any of the sectors," said Uttam Chand, a police officer in India-controlled Kashmir.

Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged gunfire for about 20 minutes on Thursday evening, another police official said.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence in 1947. Their shared border is among the most heavily militarized in the world, and travel between the two nations is severely restricted.

Almost 20,000 Indian civilians have fled their homes in the lowlands to escape the fighting, taking refuge in schools and relief camps.

Civilians living in the area hit hardest by the shelling expressed relief at the halt in firing.

"We hope calm prevails and the border shooting ends," said Avtar Singh, 45, after taking refuge in a nearby school. "Our condition in this school is very bad. We want to go back to our homes."

Each country has accused the other of starting the latest hostilities, which have hit civilian areas. India says it will not talk to Pakistan or stop firing until its neighbor backs down first.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon's spokesman had urged the two sides to engage in dialogue to find "a long-term solution for peace and stability in Kashmir".

AFP-Reuters-Xinua-AP