By Omer Faruk Yildiz and Kubra Chohan
ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday discussed the situation in Kashmir over the phone, diplomatic sources said.
Jammu and Kashmir remains in a state of paralysis with thousands of Indian forces in riot gear manning the streets a day after 13 militants, four civilians and three Indian soldiers were killed over the weekend.
“We are deeply worried and saddened about the casualties and injuries that took place in Jammu Kashmir last weekend,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We find it essential that the necessary precautions are taken to ensure that the tension in the region is reduced immediately and that the civilians are given maximum care so that they are not damaged by the clashes,” the statement added.
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.
The two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- since they were partitioned in 1947, two of which were fought over Kashmir.
Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.
According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.