The bodies of two Indian soldiers allegedly killed while patrolling the Kashmir border were flown home Tuesday, as the Indian Army vowed revenge for what it called a "despicable act."
India has accused Pakistani soldiers of mutilating the soldiers' bodies on May 1 after firing rockets and mortars along the Line of Control (LOC) in the Poonch district of Kashmir.
Asked whether the soldiers killed by artillery fire, an Indian Army official said the cause of death was unclear, adding that more information would come from the autopsy.
The official declined to go into detail about how or exactly when the mutilation occurred.
In a statement, Pakistan's army vehemently denied that Pakistani troops had crossed the border or mutilated the soldiers.
It said was "a highly professional force and shall never disrespect a soldier even Indian."
"Pakistan remains fully committed to maintaining peace and tranquility along the LOC and expect same from other side and hope prudence is exercised," another statement added.
The two soldiers killed were named, by India, as Paramjit Singh and Prem Sagar. They had been part of a nine-member patrol team, according to K.N. Choubey of the Border Security Force.
One other soldier had been injured, he said, but was in a stable condition.
As the nation mourned the two soldiers' deaths, India's finance minister, who's recently taken on the defense portfolio, expressed his anger in a tweet.
"The act of killing and mutilating the bodies of two of our soldiers is the most reprehensible and barbaric. The sacrifice will not go in vain," Arun Jaitley said.
"We have fullest confidence in our armed forces who will react appropriately," he added.
Recent violence
Tensions over Kashmir last flared in September 2016 when militants from Pakistan killed 19 Indian soldiers in an army base in Uri, a remote area near the Line of Control.
Shortly after, India responded with "surgical strikes," which it said targeted terrorist cells across the de-facto border shared with Pakistan in Kashmir.
Pakistan insisted that no incursion had taken place into the territory it controls, saying there had only been an exchange of fire. At the time, it promised a "forceful response" if there was a repeat of the operation.