India says Pakistani soldiers crossed Kashmir cease-fire line, killing 2 Indian soldiers

SRINAGAR, India – Pakistani soldiers crossed the cease-fire line in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir on Tuesday and attacked an Indian army patrol, killing two Indian soldiers before retreating back into Pakistani-controlled territory, an Indian army official said.

The violence was the second in three days in Kashmir, where a cease-fire has largely held between the two nuclear-armed rivals for a decade. Deaths in military exchanges are now extremely rare, and the earlier incident created no signs of escalating tensions.

However, the countries have fought two full-scale wars over the disputed region and diplomatic nervousness is never far from the surface.

S. Chawla, an Indian army spokesman, said the Pakistani soldiers crossed into Indian-controlled Kashmir near the town of Mendhar, about 110 miles (175 kilometers) from Srinagar, the region's main city, taking advantage of thick fog.

Pakistani military officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, but divided between them.