This Article is From Nov 08, 2016

3 Of 8 Indian Diplomats Accused Of Spying Leave Pak To Return Home

3 Of 8 Indian Diplomats Accused Of Spying Leave Pak To Return Home

Pakistan government earlier accused eight Indian diplomats of espionage and terrorism.

New Delhi: Three Indian diplomats accused by Islamabad of spying have left Pakistan to return home amid decade-high tension between the countries.

India objected last week to the names of eight diplomats being revealed by the Pakistani government which accused them of espionage and terrorism; the identities were also disclosed in local media which ran not just their names, but photographs as well.

Indian officials said that the diplomats' security had been "completely compromised" by Pakistan.

Pakistan has withdrawn six diplomats from its embassy in New Delhi after their names were released when a staffer was arrested for allegedly playing a central role in a spy ring. Islamabad reciprocated by revealing the names of eight Indian diplomats.

Both countries have expelled one diplomat each in recent weeks.

Cross-border firing and shelling has spiked since India carried out surgical raids across the Line of Control in Kashmir in September to target gathering areas for terrorists. The military action was a direct response to a deadly attack on the Uri army base in which 19 soldiers were killed by Pakistani terrorists.

Pakistan denies that Indian soldiers crossed the de facto border, but has, since then, been targeting army posts and villages in Jammu and Kashmir with heavy mortar shelling.
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