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File photo of Indian Border Security Force soldier keeps alert at the India Pakistan border. Channi Anand/AP

Pakistani and Indian troops exchange fire in Kashmir

Each side has blamed the other for the flare-up and Pakistan has said one of its soldiers was killed in the exchange.

Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire today along their disputed border in divided Kashmir, with each side blaming the other for the flare-up and Pakistan saying one of its soldiers was killed.

Pakistan said Indian troops crossed the de facto border known as the Line of Control and stormed a military post, an accusation denied by the other side.

A Pakistani military statement said the Indian troops came across the frontier in the Haji Pir sector, 80 kilometres north of Islamabad, and “physically raided” a check-post named Sawan Patra.

“Pakistan Army troops effectively responded to the attack successfully. One Pakistani soldier embraced martyrdom while another was critically injured,” it said in a statement.

The Indian troops retreated, leaving behind a gun and a dagger, it said.

An Indian army spokesman in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, denied its troops crossed the border.

Mortor bombs

Colonel Brijesh Pandey accused the Pakistani military of firing mortar bombs into a village in the Uri district in Indian Kashmir, which faces Haji Pir in the Pakistani sector of the territory.

“At 3:15 am today (9.45pm GMT Saturday) Pakistani troops resorted to heavy mortar firing, targeting a village in Uri sector,” Pandey told AFP, adding that the homes of some villagers were damaged.

“We retaliated with small arms and the exchange continued for over an hour,” the spokesman said.

He said no Indian troops were hurt but had no information about any Pakistani casualties.

Muslim-majority Kashmir is a Himalayan region which India and Pakistan both claim in full but rule in part. It was the cause of two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.

The nuclear-armed neighbours have observed a ceasefire in Kashmir since November 2003, but there have been occasional clashes and accusations of truce violations from both sides.

Cross border attacks

Last month officials in Pakistani-administered Kashmir said cross-border fire from Indian troops killed a man and wounded three other civilians in two villages.

According to an official Indian report cited by the Press Trust of India, there were 71 firing incidents along the Line of Control in 2012 in which four Indian soldiers, two Indian civilians and one alleged Pakistani infiltrator were killed.

Fifteen others were injured, according to the report from the Kashmir state home ministry.

The latest clash occurred as the two countries wrapped up their first bilateral cricket series for five years.

Cricket has been used in the past to mend ties, but analysts have said the prospect of a diplomatic dividend this time appeared slim.

India suspended its peace process with Pakistan after deadly attacks by Pakistan-based militants in 2008 in Mumbai. Talks only resumed in February last year.

Both sides remain deadlocked over Kashmir but have made some progress on less contentious subjects such as trade.

- © AFP 2012.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Sep 12th 2013, 12:39 PM

    This is the same OECD that 2 years ago told Europe we had to get used to ” a permanently lower standard of living” now suddenly it’s all roses? They are all over the place

    Don’t be confused lads this is what they call a ”jobless recovery”, the ‘recovery’ is in the stock market and share prices, not your wallet.

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    Mute Jim Flavin
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    Sep 12th 2013, 1:00 PM

    Don’t be confused lads this is what they call a ”jobless recovery”, the ‘recovery’ is in the stock market and share prices, not your wallet.”
    Well said – all they are interested in is what they call the ” Economy ” – which will have little impact on the people – and the ever growing Rich / Poor divide .
    they are claiming a recovery and growth in UK – and in US to some extent – but they do not care about unemployed people – or wages etc . I n fact mist governments now are trying to please the people who really rule us – and provide them with low wages – and no trade Unions .

    39
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    Mute MrKnow
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    Sep 12th 2013, 12:51 PM

    Well with a month left to budget 2013, 3.5million will be took from taxes and cuts, and not forgetting price hikes in fuel etc coupled with stealth taxes will dry up the last bit of household and consumer spending which will stop that growth.

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    Mute Adam Power
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    Sep 12th 2013, 3:43 PM

    3.5 million? I wish pal lol

    Be between 2-3 billion, I doubt very much it will be at 3 – 3.5 billion though. Maybe €2.5 billion.

    12
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    Mute Ian Walsh
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    Sep 12th 2013, 12:07 PM

    What growth??? Are the OECD deluded as well? We are STILL in recession. There needs to be a serious relaxation on the aul austerity if any sort of meaningful growth is to be established otherwise we are in for 10 years of stagnation and high unemployment.

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    Mute Anthony Moran
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    Sep 12th 2013, 12:22 PM

    Five years down already so half way there… Keep the faith lad, keep the faith hahaha

    21
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    Mute Bill Butler
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    Sep 12th 2013, 12:38 PM

    Ian they people that run our society and i mean the real rulers the financial houses do not care about you or me only they want it all.

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Sep 12th 2013, 1:09 PM

    It’s not clear whether we’re still in recession or not. Data for the second quarter of 2013 (April-June) won’t be available until next week.

    9
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    Mute Declan Conway
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    Sep 12th 2013, 12:40 PM

    One area we can make a big saving – unemployment benefit for non-EU nationals.

    Scrap all of them and replace with something called ‘Start-up Aid’.

    It gives 500 euros a month for 12 months to people as a leg-up. After a year, no more money.
    If you’re in work, then no bother. If not, sorry we cannot afford it.
    In Galway City and County a staggering 67% (two out of three) non-EU nationals are on the dole and have been for more than two years. They are unlikely to find work soon, if ever.

    It will save the State about 1.4 billion euros a year.
    There’s your water rates, there’s your property tax.
    Plus a lot left over to start jobs creation.

    Denmark did it in 2009 to slow down the rate of economic migration.
    It did – by 85%. Only the highly skilled and educated migrate there now. A lesson for us.

    I did propose this to Joan Burton several months ago and got this reply.

    “Dear Mr. Conway

    Minister Joan Burton T.D., has asked me to acknowledge your recent e-mail. The contents of which have been noted.

    Yours sincerely
    Jacinta Crawford
    Private Secretary”

    In other words, the ‘claimants party’ didn’t want to know.
    However, can can still make the Dail listen. Let your TD know.

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Sep 12th 2013, 1:13 PM

    So what if the non-eu national has been living here for years and paying their PAYE and PRSI like everybody else? It wasn’t immigration that screwed this country up. Also, trying to stop immigration into Ireland stinks of hypocrisy when one of the main controlling factors that’s stopping our unemployment rising above 14% is emigration.

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    Mute Eoin Dineen
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    Sep 12th 2013, 1:30 PM

    @ Declan: Do you have a source for those stats for Galway Live Register?

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 12th 2013, 1:34 PM

    Not really. Ireland doesn’t have a functional immigration policy (unlike all those other countries to which Irish people are emigrating). There is no shame in creating one and enforcing it. Nor is it racist, as some seem to believe. In fact, the current polcy IS pretty shameful as it can leave people in limbo for years not knowing what their future is.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Sep 12th 2013, 1:51 PM

    AFAIK you can only get social insurance if you’ve been working here for 6 months as an EU and 2 years as a non EU national and in that case they paid into the system like everyone else so they should be allowed acess it.

    Don’t delude yourself into thinking we have esp lavish social services we really don’t, compared to the rest of Europe ours are where most EU states were in the early 20th century.

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Sep 12th 2013, 5:11 PM

    Censored, what exactly is ‘dysfunctional’ about our immigration policy? Please elaborate because if you’re going to make a claim like that you have to back it up.

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 13th 2013, 1:04 AM

    No I don’t, you are not that stupid.

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    Mute Brendan McGrath
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    Sep 12th 2013, 12:40 PM

    ..if Government can reduce the debt to 60% of GDP by 2030?….I think we need a bigger boat

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    Mute Jim Flavin
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    Sep 12th 2013, 1:07 PM

    things are getting better – but even the report admits
    ” the report noted that “unemployment remains high, emigration has resumed, and poverty has increased, adding to heavy debts and financial distress”.
    – how is this recovery ??
    But things will be better in 2030 – presumably – that date is a moveable feast.
    This is just PR BS – to try to get us to accept more and more cuts . the people who made the biggest errors – the casino bankers have literally gotten away with robbery .
    also some wont be around in 2030 – who knows who will be – so what are they paying for .

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    Mute Andrew Potts
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    Sep 12th 2013, 2:07 PM

    FOr the usual lucky and connected things are only great , for those propping them up things are not like that at all.

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    Mute Fergal McDonagh
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    Sep 12th 2013, 2:11 PM

    Basically, the speculators and bullshit artists are back on form. Recovery? Don’t make me laugh.

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    Mute Gillian Foale
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    Sep 12th 2013, 2:15 PM

    The picture for this article is great, like getting on a plane…..the super wealthy will turn left and the rest of us to the right……

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    Mute Pete Foley
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    Sep 12th 2013, 12:59 PM

    There saying it’s working so we will keep paying up.

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    Mute John Mangan
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    Sep 12th 2013, 2:09 PM

    Sure when did an Irish government ever listen to the OECD?

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 12th 2013, 1:30 PM

    Can we be sure that the OECD did their sums right this time? Did they check them twice?

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/16/is-the-best-evidence-for-austerity-based-on-an-excel-spreadsheet-error/

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