Indian Prime Minister takes hard-line on Pakistan after border conflict (VIDEO)

GlobalPost
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Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took a hard line on Pakistan in statements released Tuesday, claiming that after a deadly Kashmir border incident, his government cannot conduct "business as usual" with their long-time rivals.

The Times of India reported that Singh, who was speaking to journalists at an Army Day reception, said: "Those who are responsible will have to be brought to book… I hope Pakistan realizes this" of the incident last week, in which two Indian soldiers were killed.

Read more from GlobalPost: Meeting between India and Pakistan comes to naught on border issues

Singh called the beheading of one of the soldiers a "barbaric" act, and added that the incident was "unacceptable."

Later in the day, the Pakistani army said Indian troops fired on one of its posts on the Kashmir border and killed one soldier, according to the Associated Press.

The Pakistani army identified the soldier as Naik Ashraf, survived by a wife and three daughters, and said the shooting was unprovoked.

Three Pakistani soldiers and two Indian soldiers have been reported killed along the tense border in the past 10 days, the AP noted.

Visas on arrival for senior citizen Pakistanis to India are currently on hold, wrote the Hindustan Times, and will be brought back contingent on India's assessment of the situation.

Pakistan denies responsibility for killing the two men (one of whom was beheaded) and for unprovoked fire, and also claims it has not made illegal movements onto the Indian side of the Line of Control.

A Monday meeting between Pakistani and Indian border leaders at the Line of Control accomplished little, as India demanded an apology, while Pakistan continued to deny culpability, wrote the Washington Post.

Read more from GlobalPost: India-Pakistan border (PHOTOS)

During the Monday meeting, the Indian army warned Pakistani forces that it "reserves the right to retaliate at a time and place of its choosing" if such border incursions occurred, wrote the Times of India.

On Sunday, Indian hockey officials were forced to release nine Pakistani players who had been set to play in the new league after widespread protests prompted by the border incident, reported Reuters.

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