NEW DELHI, March 7. /TASS/. India demands that Pakistan immediately cease attacks on the territory of disputed Kashmir, controlled by New Delhi, which killed at least four civilians, NDTV reported on Thursday, citing sources. The Indian side said that the continuation of attacks and provocations would have drastic consequences for the Pakistanis.

According to this information, top brass from the two states held a conversation through the system of emergency communication, during which India demanded that attacks over the Line of Control on civilians be stopped. Earlier, New Delhi repeatedly blamed Pakistan for the artillery and mortar blitz on Kashmir. At least four civilians, including two children, were killed over the past week as a result, the Indian side reported. In response, Islamabad blamed India for unprovoked attacks.

NDTV’s source also reported that Pakistan is deploying additional forces and military equipment along the Line of Contact, which separates the disputed territory of Kashmir. According to this information, Islamabad is deploying units there from the Afghan border.

Presently, tensions are on the rise between India and Pakistan following a suicide bombing against an Indian military convoy in the Jammu and Kashmir state on February 14. The Jaish-e-Mohammed group, which supports secession from India, claimed responsibility for the attack. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for supporting the terrorists from this group.

On February 26, the Indian Air Force struck a camp accomodating this group on Pakistani soil. On February 27, Pakistan stated that the country’s Air Force hit military installations in the Jammu and Kashmir state in response to the Indian side’s actions. After an air battle, New Delhi and Islamabad stated that they had downed each other’s planes.

The situation in Jammu and Kashmir - the only Indian state where Muslims constitute a majority - has been tense for years. The territory of the ancient principality of Kashmir has been a matter of dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947, when the British Raj received independence and was split into two states based on religion. To date, there is no state border in Kashmir: its territory is divided by the Line of Control. Groups that favor secession from India are active in the Indian zone.