India and Pakistan have traded heavy gunfire and mortars in the disputed Kashmir region, killing at least eight civilians and injuring several dozen others.
Indian army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta said Pakistani troops have fired on Indian positions in the Balakote and Poonch sectors, killing six civilians since August 15.
At least 17 others were wounded. The Pakistani Army said in a statement that two civilians had been killed and two others wounded in the fighting.
The two countries have been exchanging heavy fire across the Line of Control almost daily for the past week.
The nuclear-armed South Asian rivals have a history of uneasy relations.
They fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Kashmir — a divided region today — is claimed by both countries.
