Five villagers including two women were killed in mortar shelling and firing by Pakistani troops across the international border in India's northern state, Jammu and Kashmir. Indian news channel NDTV reported that 25 people were injured in the cross-border firing.

"Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy and unprovoked firing and shelling of mortars on 10 border outposts and civilian areas along the international border in Arnia belt of Jammu district from 10 p.m. last night," a spokesman for the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency.

BSF soldiers guarding the Indian border returned fire. No casualties have been reported from Pakistan.

Villages in the Indian side of the border suffered severe damages and loss of livestock, according to Devender Singh, sub-divisional Police Officer who spoke to PTI. "People living in critical zones along the border will be evacuated," he added.

Both India and Pakistan stake a claim to the Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir and have fought three wars over the disputed territory since 1947, after winning independence from British colonial rule. The two governments agreed to a ceasefire in 2003, which has been violated several times.

There have been several attempts to restore peace talks between the two countries, which have never really taken off after terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 that saw more than 160 people were killed.

India accuses Pakistan of harboring terrorists and supporting the Muslim separatist movement in Kashmir - an accusation which Pakistan denies.

mg/mz (pti, dpa)