Islamabad: Pakistan's military on October 23 played down a reported fist-fight between rival soldiers on the India-Pakistan border, saying that the brawl was sparked by accident.

Reports said that the military guard of honour ceremony, which occurs daily at sunset in Punjab on the Wagah border, degenerated into a fight between an Indian Army flag-bearer and a Pakistani soldier.

A Pakistani paramilitary trooper sparked the brawl at the end of the ceremony by allegedly hurling insults, the report said.

But a Pakistani military spokesman said that the "minor" incident occurred as part of the flag-lowering ceremony.

"After flags were lowered the rope was thrown back onto the flag post by a Pakistani guard. It slipped and hit the guard on the other side. The Indian guard punched the Pakistani soldier in the neck," Pakistani rangers spokesman Major Mohammad Sharif said.

"The Pakistani guard tried to respond to the Indian's behaviour but senior officers intervened and the ensuing brawl was put down," he added.

"This was a minor incident and merited no publicity. The ceremony went on as usual afterwards," Sharif said.