DHAKA: India prime minister Narendra Modi accused Pakistan of waging a proxy war in Kashmir on Tuesday as he became the first Indian prime minister to visit the town of Kargil since more than 1,000 died in a battle fought there 15 years ago.

Modi landed in the remote Himalayan town a day after India and its rival Pakistan traded accusations of ceasefire violations on their disputed border.

He is the first Indian leader to visit the highly sensitive area since a 1999 Pakistan army incursion triggered a conflict between the two countries.

Since then, India has maintained a heavy military presence in Muslim-majority Kargil, in the remote mountainous region of Ladakh, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1445 HRS, AUG 12, 2014