Gulam Nabi Azad expresses concern over Poonch incident, accuses Pakistan

Expressing concern over the death of five Indian soldiers following an attack by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch District late on Monday night, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Gulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that neighbouring countries are taking undue advantage of India efforts to maintain good relations with her neighbours.

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Every time a new government comes to power in Pakistan, we in India hope that it will be good for India and try to improve relations. We do not want anybody's land, but we do not understand that why do so many neighbouring countries keep an eye on our land. "We always want to have good ties with our neighbours but a lot of people are taking undue advantage," he said.

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Meanwhile, President of Jammu West Assembly Movement Sunil Dimple said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should give a befitting reply to Pakistan and to snap all ties with that country.

"We demand from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give a befitting reply to Pakistan and to snap all ties with Pakistan. And furthermore, India should cease all trade relations with Pakistan," he said.

"We will not give even an inch of Jammu and Kashmir to our enemy whether it is China or Pakistan," he added.

Television reports said Pakistani troops entered India to carry out the attack against patrolling soldiers along the LoC.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed the news of the death of the five Indian soldiers along the Line of Control on Tuesday morning via micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Was briefed early this morning about news that five of our soldiers had been killed on the LoC. My heartfelt condolences to their next of kin," Abdullah tweeted.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Tuesday denied that it had fired upon Indian Army soldiers killing five of them in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.