Article content continued

The Pakistan military has denied involvement in the killings. “Pakistan Army is a highly professional force and shall never disrespect a soldier even Indian,” read a Monday statement by the public relations department of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

In a hotline phone call between the militaries of both nations on Tuesday, Pakistan called for “actionable evidence” that the attack was Pakistani, and hinted that it may have come from inside Indian territory.

“We are fully committed to maintain peace and tranquility … however, any disadventure shall be appropriately responded at a place and time of own choosing,” read a follow-up statement.

The slain soldiers are Paramjit Singh from Punjab and Prem Sagar from Uttar Pradesh.

Kashmir, a mountainous region claimed by both India and Pakistan, has been a source of tension ever since the two countries were partitioned as part of independence from the United Kingdom.

Of four wars fought between the two countries since 1947, three have broken out over Kashmir, the last in 1999.

On Tuesday, a former Indian defence minister, AK Antony, was publicly calling on the government of Narendra Modi to “give freedom to the army to take appropriate action at an appropriate time.”

Indian social media also lit up with calls for swift retaliation, many of the posts using the hashtag “Badla Lo” (take revenge).