India-Pakistan must hold talks to end 'bloodshed': Hurriyat

The moderate Hurriyat Conference on Saturday said India and Pakistan should hold talks to resolve the Kashmir issue and to stop the "senseless bloodshed" of people along the Line of Control (LoC).

In a statement, the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led amalgam expressed grief and dismay at the escalation along the LoC in which several lives were lost on Friday.

"Hurriyat once again urges the government of India and Pakistan to give up belligerence and come to the table to resolve the J&K dispute for times to come and end the senseless bloodshed of humans on all sides," it said.

Read: At least 8 Pakistani soldiers killed by Indian Army in retaliatory firing along LoC: Report

It said the death of innocent Kashmiri civilians on both sides of the LoC, as well as soldiers of both the countries "caught in the lingering conflict", is very sad and shameful.

The Pakistan Army resorted to heavy firing and shelling on Friday, targeting villages and forward areas along the LoC in which five security forces personnel and six civilians were killed. The Indian troops retaliated strongly, killing eight Pakistani soldiers and injuring 12 others besides causing extensive damage to its infrastructure.