The United States on Tuesday voiced concern over the reported killing of five Indian soldiers, allegedly by Pakistani troops along the Himalayan border, triggering new hostility that could imperil efforts to resume peace talks. "We are aware of these unconfirmed reports and are concerned about any violence along the line of control," State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said during the daily press briefing. "The policy on Kashmir has not changed. We still believed that the pace, scope, and character of India and Pakistan's dialogue on Kashmir is for those two countries to determine," Psaki added. The accusations could adversely affect a proposal sent by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to New Delhi recently, seeking to resume the stalled dialogue process. Ties between the two countries grew strained in January after a similar border incident in which both countries accused the other of crossing the border and killing soldiers.
