India, Pakistan Exchange Fire, Several Soldiers Killed

A young Indian boy touches the coffin of his father, Indian army soldier Jaki Sharma, who was killed in firing from the Pakistan side of the border, April 10, 2018. VIA AP
A young Indian boy touches the coffin of his father, Indian army soldier Jaki Sharma, who was killed in firing from the Pakistan side of the border, April 10, 2018. VIA AP
TT

India, Pakistan Exchange Fire, Several Soldiers Killed

A young Indian boy touches the coffin of his father, Indian army soldier Jaki Sharma, who was killed in firing from the Pakistan side of the border, April 10, 2018. VIA AP
A young Indian boy touches the coffin of his father, Indian army soldier Jaki Sharma, who was killed in firing from the Pakistan side of the border, April 10, 2018. VIA AP

Pakistani firing killed up to four Indian paramilitary soldiers on border patrol, Indian officials said, according to AP.

Pakistan denied initiating the attack and blamed Indian soldiers for provoking the confrontation.

India and Pakistan agreed a while ago to stop trading fire along the tensed frontier and uphold a cease-fire accord dating back 15 years.

While Indian soldiers patrolled a border area in the Jammu region, one of the soldiers was shot by a Pakistani sniper, Indian border guards said as reported by AP.

While other soldiers tried to rescue their fallen comrade, Pakistani soldiers fired volley of gunfire at them, triggering exchange of gunfire, two border officials said.

The two, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with border guards policy, said three soldiers were killed on the spot while the other died later while being evacuated.



EU Commission Chief Has 'Severe Pneumonia'

FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)
FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)
TT

EU Commission Chief Has 'Severe Pneumonia'

FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)
FILE - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana, File)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is ill with “severe pneumonia” and has canceled her appointments for the next two weeks, her office announced Friday.

According to The Associated Press, spokesman Stefan De Keersmaeker said her agenda had to be cleared of meetings in Lisbon and in Poland, which has just taken over the EU's rotating presidency of the 27-nation European Union.

“She is dealing with severe pneumonia,” De Keersmaeker said in a statement, giving no further details about her conditions or how she fell ill.

Von der Leyen, 66, only recently started her second five-year stint at the top of the EU's powerful executive office.