Civilians killed in renewed Kashmir shelling

Indian soldiers fire a 105mm field gun at Pakistani positions near the Line of Control north of Mendhar, India

NEW DELHI, India -- Fighting flared again between Indian and Pakistan troops across the frontier in Kashmir just as U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrapped up his South Asia peace mission with a plea for the neighbors to stop shooting and start talking.

Indian and Pakistani troops fired artillery into each other's territory Friday, with Associated Press reporting that six civilians were killed.

Rumsfeld, who visited both India and Pakistan earlier in the week, pushed for a halt to artillery and mortar fire across the frontier in Kashmir, saying the leaders needed to start talking.

"One thing would be to have less shelling, another might be to have more talking," he said in Bahrain, en route back to the United States.

Rumsfeld suggested one way to continue to ease tensions would be for both sides to agree that troops along the Line of Control, which separates Indian and Pakistani regions of Kashmir, would only fire in self-defense.

Such a policy would limit civilian casualties and "begin a process of easing some of the lingering hostilities."

CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Martin Savidge takes a boat ride through the markets of Kashmir and discovers the calm waters don't reflect the political situation in that region Play video     QUICKVOTE Should the United States help monitor the Kashmir Line of Control? Yes No View Results   AUDIO CNN's Chris Burns on U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's comments about al Qaeda in Kashmir. 1.09MB / 1min. 44 secs. WAV sound   RESOURCES Interactive timeline: South Asia Powerplay  Photo gallery: Military standoff continues    RESOURCES Infographic: India and Pakistan missile range  Infographic: Maps and military

But his call has had little impact on the hostilities.

In Pakistan, the government news agency said three children were among the six civilians were killed in Indian shelling Friday in Pakistan's portion of the disputed Kashmir region. Eight civilians were injured in the shelling in Nakyal sector, 120 km (75 miles) south of the regional capital, Muzaffarabad.

There are still nearly one million troops massed on the borders between India and Pakistan and despite some conciliatory moves tensions remain high.

Land-based troops still a threat

India has pulled back its warships from near Pakistan and lifted a six-month ban on Pakistani aircraft flying over Indian space but the build-up of land-based troops is still considered a major threat by Islamabad.

"There has been no change whatsoever in the capability of Indian forces massed on our borders and the Lind of Control, therefore there is no real reduction in the threat," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said.

When asked about Rumsfeld's push for a halt to shelling, Indian External Afffairs Minister Jaswant Singh told Associated Press on Friday that India would "examine all options and take action at an appropriate time."

A Pakistan navy spokesman said Friday that Pakistan has decided to recall its warships and submarines from undisclosed wartime locations, matching India's earlier decision.

"Pakistan has made this decision as a gesture of goodwill to India," Captain Shahid Nabeel told Associated Press.

Rumsfeld said earlier the U.S. would not mediate any talks between the two sides, saying that as sovereign nations the responsibility rested with India and Pakistan.

Rumsfeld also downplayed the threat that nuclear weapons might be used in a conflict, saying the leaders of the two nations were "managing their affaris as people responsible for weapons of that power."

According to sources travelling with the Defense Secretary, the United States is considering the use of American technology to help India and Pakistan monitor their Line of Control in Kashmir.(Full story)

Stand-off

India has blamed a series of militant attacks, including a dramatic raid on the Indian parliament in New Delhi last December, on Kashmiri separatist groups it says operate from Pakistani-controlled territory with backing from Islamabad.

Pakistan has rejected the charges, saying it only gives moral support to groups fighting what it calls a "liberation struggle" for the Kashmiri people.

The row has led to a dramatic increase in tensions between the two nuclear powers, between them deploying around a million troops along their shared border and the Line of Control. (Maps and military)

Amid such a tense stand-off diplomats have expressed fears that another militant attack could spark a catastrophic war.