ISLAMABAD: Indian troops fired this morning in the Poonch sector along the Line of Control, the de facto border between Pakistan and India, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

"Indian troops used mortar and other heavy weapons which was strongly responded by Pakistani troops," a short statement from the ISPR said.

"No casualties have so far been reported," the statement said.

Reports running in the Indian media on the other hand quoted an Indian defence spokesman as alleging that the LoC ceasefire was violated from the Pakistani side of the border.

In December last year, Pakistan and India had pledged to uphold the 2003 LoC ceasefire accord which had been left in tatters by repeated violations that year. The truce breaches had put the nascent bilateral peace dialogue on hold.

The directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of the two countries had agreed to a number of steps to keep the ceasefire accord intact.

The meeting had taken place on the initiative of the political leadership of the two countries for ending tensions along the LoC.

The Himalayan territory of Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan by the UN-monitored de facto border of LoC but is claimed in full by both countries.