SRINAGAR, July 16: An Indian army soldier was killed and another injured in an exchange of artillery and mortars with the Pakistani army along Line of Control (LoC) while eight people died in separate violence, police said on Wednesday.

Police accused Pakistani troops of targeting Indian positions along the LoC with heavy mortar and artillery fire.

The exchanges on late Tuesday were in the Nowshera sector of southern Rajouri district, which borders Azad Kashmir.

“During the two hours of shelling Pakistani troops fired 50 to 60 shells from across the LoC,” a police spokesman said, adding one of the shells hit an army post killing a soldier, identified as Ram Lakhan.

“Another soldier was critically injured in the shelling,” he said.

On Wednesday, a 70-year old Muslim was injured during similar clashes between Indian and Pakistani troops in northwestern Karnah sector, police said.

Earlier on Tuesday an Indian airforce official was killed and his wife, child and driver injured when their vehicle received a direct artillery hit fired by Pakistani troops in the northeastern Kargil sector of Kashmir, India claimed.

Meanwhile, police said unknown gunmen overnight shot dead two Muslims, including a woman in the village of Guzarbal, near Bandipora township, 60kms north of summer capital Srinagar.

Police said suspected militants shot dead two more Muslims in the southern districts of Pulwama and Udhampur.

Wani was a former militant, released from prison recently.

A Muslim woman Fatima Begum died during a cross-fire between Mujahideen and the troops in the village of Hari Gagrian in Poonch district, police said, adding Indian troops shot dead three fighters in north Kashmir districts of Kupwara and Baramulla overnight and on Wednesday.—AFP