LAHORE, Pakistan, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Pakistani security forces said Indian troops fired on their positions near Lahore as border tensions between the two nuclear-armed foes simmer.
Nadeem Raza, a spokesman for the paramilitary Rangers, said Indian troops opened fire on their positions using automatic weapons during the weekend, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reports. He added the attack was unprovoked.
"Our soldiers strongly retaliated and forced them to stop firing," he said. "We have decided to forcefully respond if they resort to firing again."
Indian security officials denied the allegations, saying they were responding to militant activity. Tensions escalated when an Indian soldier was killed last week in the disputed area of Kashmir.
Islamabad, for its part, went on the defensive following claims that Russia would lease a nuclear submarine to India in 2010.
Relations between Pakistan and India are strained because of disputes over Kashmir, though the situation there had improved in recent months.
Both sides traded accusations on terrorist activity, however, in the wake of a November 2008 raid on high-profile targets in Mumbai launched by militants tied to the Pakistani guerrilla movement Lashkar-e-Toiba.
