Indian soldier 'beheaded by Pakistan troops" as Kashmir dispute escalates The escalation in military tensions comes at a time of improving political relations Last month, Pakistan sent its first cricket tour to India since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, while its interior minister, Rehman Malik, visited New Delhi to unveil a new liberalised visa regime to encourage greater "people to people contact." On Tuesday, Indian officials claimed that cooperation with Pakistani investigators had significantly improved the case against the alleged Pakistan-based terrorists who masterminded the Mumbai attacks. Relations have gradually improved since that attack, in which suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists killed 166 people. But in the past month there has been an increase in cross-border skirmishes between the two armies over the "line of control" that separates Indian from Pakistan-held Kashmir. India claims that there have been 10 ceasefire violations over the line in the past four weeks. The latest incident happened on Monday. According to Indian army officials, Pakistani troops crossed into Indian- controlled Kashmir near the town of Mendhar, about 110 miles from Srinagar, the region's main city. "In a significant escalation to the continuing series of ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts supported by Pakistan army, a group of their regular soldiers intruded across the line of control," said an India army spokesman. Pakistan army troops, having taken advantage of thick fog and mist in the forested area, were moving towards [their] own posts when a patrol spotted and engaged the intruders. The firefight continued for approximately half an hour after which the intruders retreated towards their side. Two soldiers, Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh, laid down their lives. Gen SL Narasimhan, chief spokesman of the Indian army, told The Daily Telegraph that one soldier had been "mutilated" but could not confirm reports that he had been beheaded. Unconfirmed Indian reports suggested Pakistani regular troops ambushed an Indian patrol while disguised in black patkas - the headscarves worn by Sikh youths. It follows an earlier breach on Sunday, when Pakistan said one of its soldiers was killed and another wounded in an attack by Indian troops. Pakistan summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner on Monday to register its protest. A Pakistan army official denied "Indian allegation of unprovoked firing" and said the incident looked like propaganda to divert attention from Sunday's raid on a Pakistani post by Indian troops in which a Pakistani soldier was killed. Vikram Sood, a former head of India's intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, said he believed this latest attack involved both regular Pakistani troops and jihadi militants, and suggested it may have been an attempt to sabotage the recent improvement in relations between the two countries.