Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged fire across the Line of Control (LoC) in the latest skirmish on Sunday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The exchange of fire occurred along the LoC in the Khanjar sector near Bhimber, ISPR reported.

"Indians fired with RPG-7 and automatic grenade launcher," the ISPR said, adding that Pakistani troops effectively responded to the Indian firing.

Earlier, casualties along the LoC had occurred on December 16, when a man was killed and eight schoolchildren injured in Nakyal sector of Kotli district.

Prior to that, a minibus was shelled in Neelum valley on November 23, due to which nine passengers had lost their lives.

Cross-border firing a new normal

Tensions between Pakistan and India have been running high following an alleged 'surgical strike', unrest in Kashmir and the Uri army base attack in September.

Since then there have been repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing in Kashmir, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries including of civilians.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up a drive to isolate Pakistan diplomatically after the Uri army base attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed. Hours after the attack occurred, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed Pakistan a 'terrorist state' and accused Pakistan of involvement.

The Uri attack occurred days before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was set to address the United Nations General Assembly regarding Indian human rights violations in held Kashmir.

Following the attack, India claimed it had conducted a cross-border 'surgical strike' against 'launch pads of terror' in Azad Jammu and Kashmir — a claim Pakistan has strongly rejected.

Pakistan maintains that India is attempting to divert the world's attention away from atrocities committed by government forces in India-held Kashmir.

Pakistan and India have, most recently, locked horns over Kashmir since Indian forces stepped up a crackdown against protesters after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by government forces in July.