SRINAGAR: Two civilians were injured on Wednesday when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire and resorted to heavy shelling and firing from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector in north Kashmir district of Kupwara.
An Army official said that Pakistani troops, violating the 2003 ceasefire, fired mortar shells and resorted to heavy firing on Wednesday afternoon, targeting forward posts and civilian areas in Tangdhar sector.
He said Indian troops retaliated and the exchange of fire was still going on when the reports last came in, adding two civilians were injured in the ceasefire violation. “The injured were immediately taken to a hospital,” he added.
This was the 17th violation by Pakistan troops during the past over one month in North Kashmir.
J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh and General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Army’s 15 Corps Lt General B S Raju recently said Pakistani troops are violating ceasefire to provide cover to militants to sneak into this side before the infiltration routes are closed due to heavy snowfall. However, they said troops guarding the LoC are already on high alert to foil any infiltration attempt by militants waiting at launch pads in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) to sneak into this side.
“There were a total of 646 incidents of ceasefire violation along the International Border (IB) as well as the LoC between January 1 and February 23 this year,” an official said.
He said over 3,200 ceasefire violations by Pakistan’s troops were recorded in 2019. (agencies)
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