New Delhi: India's government said Thursday that 13 civilians had been killed by Pakistani fire in "ceasefire violations" along their de facto border since Wednesday, after violence escalated into artillery shelling following Indian strikes.

India's foreign ministry said that all those killed were in the town of Poonch, with 59 others injured, the majority also in the town.

India's army also said that a soldier had also been killed in Poonch on Wednesday "during Pakistan Army shelling", taking the total confirmed deaths on the Indian side to 14.