India shells Pakistani posts in Kashmir

JAMMU, India -- A senior army official said Indian forces shelled Pakistani military posts across the cease-fire line Monday in Kashmir, destroying nearly a dozen posts in the heaviest fighting along the disputed border in 10 months. Pakistan said a woman was killed and 25 people injured in the assault.

"We have fired heavily on Pakistani positions," Indian Brig. P.C. Das told The Associated Press. Speaking from the army base in Nagrota, near Jammu-Kashmir's winter capital of Jammu, Das said the shelling occurred in the frontier areas of Akhnoor and Mendar.

Das said Indian forces fired artillery, rockets, mortars, grenade launchers and machine guns during the operation.

A statement from the Army Media Center said the shelling had caused "widespread destruction."

"The Indian army today launched successful, punitive operations against the Pakistani army's repeated involvement in abetting terrorist activities," the statement said.

In Islamabad, a Pakistani army spokesman said Indian forces were shelling Pakistani positions 18 miles from the border city of Sialkot, injuring one woman and 25 others.

The spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied Indian claims that they destroyed 11 Pakistani posts. He accused India of targeting civilians.

The two sides were still trading artillery fire in the Rawalakot sector, 100 miles south of Muzaffarabad, he said.

The Indian offensive came while Secretary of State Colin Powell was in Pakistan to discuss issues related to Kashmir and the U.S.-led attack on the Taliban. Powell is scheduled to arrive in India's capital, New Delhi, tonight.

"We have started punitive action. This follows a conscious decision," said Das, the brigadier-general staff of the Indian army's 16th corps. "This is part of the proactive approach adopted by Indian Army."