Pakistan blames India for vehicle blast that kills seven soldiers in Balochistan

Seven Pakistan army soldiers were killed on Tuesday when their vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device, Pakistan's military said, blaming arch rival India for the attack.

Ties between the two nations have been strained since the April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that targeted Hindu tourists, killing 26. India accused Pakistan of involvement, saying two of the three suspected attackers were Pakistani nationals.

Islamabad has denied the accusation but says it is fully prepared to defend itself in case of attack, prompting world powers to call for a calming of tension.

Pakistan's military said members of the Baloch Liberation Army, which it described as an "Indian proxy", targeted its vehicle with an improvised explosive device in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan.

The BLA is the strongest of a number of insurgent groups operating in the area bordering Afghanistan and Iran, a mineral-rich region that is home to Beijing's investment in Gwadar deep water port and other projects.

India's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the statement.

The rivals have announced a slew of measures against each other, from suspending trade and a key water treaty to closing their airspace and reducing embassy staff.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised the need to avoid a military confrontation that could "easily spin out of control".

"Now is the time for maximum restraint, and stepping back from the brink," he said.

UN Security Council members were briefed on the situation in the region and told of intelligence indicating an "imminent threat" of action by India, Pakistan's foreign ministry said, referring to the council's meeting on Monday in New York.

"They called for dialogue and diplomacy to diffuse tension and avoid military confrontation ... and to peacefully resolve issues," the ministry said in a statement.

CIVIL DEFENCE DRILLS

Pakistan has held two missile tests in three days and India has unveiled plans for civil defence drills to be conducted in several states on Wednesday, from sounding air raid sirens to evacuation plans.

Once, a bustling tourist industry has grown quiet in the scenic mountains of Pakistani Kashmir.

On Tuesday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with the deputy prime minister, foreign and defence ministers, and the military chiefs visited the headquarters of its top ISI spy agency.

Pakistan is currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council. India is not, but New Delhi has been in talks with council members ahead of Monday's meeting.

An Indian source familiar with the discussion said many members expressed concern that Pakistan's missile tests and nuclear rhetoric were "escalatory" factors.

"Pakistan's efforts to internationalise the situation also failed," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They were advised to sort out the issues bilaterally with India."

Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan, although each controls only a part of the Himalayan region. They have fought two wars over Kashmir and New Delhi accuses Pakistan of backing an uprising in Indian Kashmir that started in 1989 but has now waned.

Pakistan says it only offers diplomatic and moral support to a Kashmiri demand for self-determination.

India's foreign ministry said it rejected a statement from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in which it reaffirmed "support for the Jammu and Kashmir question".