Exchange of fire across the border between Pakistan and India left three Pakistani soldiers killed and another Indian injure.

Exchange of fire across the border between Pakistan and India left three Pakistani soldiers killed and another Indian injure.

Both sides blamed each other for starting the cross-border fire, as tentative diplomatic steps were being taken to make peace between the two rivals who have fought two of their three wars over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Pakistan army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP news agency on Thursday that the Pakistani soldiers had been moving between posts when they got lost in bad weather in the Neelum river valley before the gunfire started.
"There was a fire exchange between the two sides. This was started by the Indian side -- completely unprovoked firing, breaking the ceasefire, and after search of 24 hours their bodies were recovered," said Abbas.

For his part, Indian army spokesman J.S. Brar said the Pakistanis shot first.
"There was a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in (northern) Keran sector that left our soldier injured," Brar told AFP from Indian administered Kashmir.

He said the first shots rang out late Wednesday "and they (Pakistani troops) again resorted to unprovoked firing early this (Thursday) morning. We have retaliated," he said, adding that the firing had now stopped.