NEW DELHI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- With no let up in skirmishes on Line of Control (LoC) and international border (IB) dividing Kashmir, the civilians on both sides of the divide continue to bear the brunt.
On Thursday evening, the two sides exchanged fire in Arnia, Ramgarh and R S Pura sectors along the International Border in Jammu and Samba districts.
According to police, the firing wounded four civilians, besides damaging several houses.
"Four civilians were injured in the firing," a police spokesman said. "The firing also perished cattle besides damaging residential houses."
The spokesman said authorities have evacuated around 800 civilians to safer places.
Meanwhile, four civilians including two women were killed on Pakistani side in Charwah sector on Thursday.
"Indian Border Security Force resorted to unprovoked firing of mortars targeting civilian population along Working Boundary in village Bini Sulariyan in Charwa Sector," a statement issued by Pakistan military's Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. "Four innocent citizens including two women embraced martyrdom."
The ISPR spokesman said Pakistan Rangers gave a befittingly response to Indian firing targeting civilian areas.
Reports said nearly 50,000 civilians in forward villages of Pakistan's Sialkot sector have deserted their homes following Indian firing.
The skirmishes have led to killings of troops as well as civilians.
According to Indian officials, over 300 incidents of cease-fire violations have been recorded along the LoC since the beginning of this year.
LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.
Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
