Pakistan and India exchanged fresh fire across the Kashmir border Saturday, the Pakistani military said, with Indian officials stating there was no damage as tensions rise between the nuclear-armed rivals.

"Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing which started at 4:00 am (2300 GMT) and continued for four hours in Bhimber sector on the Pakistani side of the border," a military statement said. It did not mention casualties.

According to ISPR, Indian border forces also fired mortar shells at the civilian population. "There was small arms fire and mortar shells fire from across the border in Akhnoor sector which lasted for around two hours (4:00 am to 6:00 am)," Pawan Kotwal, a top civilian official in Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir said.

"No damage was caused. We are ready for any eventuality but it is peaceful in Jammu region." The skirmish came two days after the Indian Director General of Military Operations, claimed that the country's forces had carried out "surgical strikes" across the heavily militarised Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in the disputed territory. Pakistan, however rejected the claim.