India summons Pakistani envoy over soldiers' beheadings

India summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit on Wednesday, 3 May, to hand over "sufficient evidence" on the Pakistani army's alleged hand in the beheadings of two Indian soldiers. Though Islamabad has rejected the accusations, New Delhi said they have provided "actionable evidence".

Earlier this week, the Indian army claimed two of its soldiers were captured and decapitated by Pakistani forces. The Indian side claimed to have found the bodies of the two troops who were on patrol at the sensitive frontier zone, known as the Line of Control. The 1 May 1 incident has caused widespread anger in India with politicians and experts calling for a strong response from New Delhi.

"Blood samples of Indian soldiers collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly show that the killers returned across the LoC (Line of Control)," India's foreign secretary S Jaishankar told Basit. Pakistani forces even provided cover fire through rockets and mortar bombs when the incident took place, India alleged.

Addressing reporters in the Indian capital, a spokesperson for the external affairs ministry emphasised that the Pakistani administration should hold the army personnel allegedly involved in the episode accountable.

"We have sufficient proof that the Pakistan army crossed the LoC at Krishna Ghati [in Kashmir]. We have asked the Pakistan government to take action on the army commanders responsible for this heinous act. Pakistan's envoy should convey the Indian outrage. Of course, he has denied involvement in the beheadings," Gopal Baglay said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan are rising in recent months with frequent ceasefire violations and cross-border incidents. The two nuclear-armed rivals have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947, with two of them centred on the territorial dispute over Kashmir.