Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 28: Troops launched a major counter offensive against Pakistan last mid-night after latter targeted civilian areas in various parts of Poonch sector, leading to heavy damages across the Line of Control (LoC) including five fatal casualties, two of them Army personnel, apart from nearly a dozen injuries and destruction of forward posts and bunkers.
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Five civilians including a woman were injured in Pakistan shelling and firing in half a dozen villages of Poonch sector last night.
Sources told the Excelsior that the troops launched massive assault on Pakistani troops to silence their guns, which were targeting civilian population causing heavy losses across the LoC. Pakistan officially admitted its three fatal casualties and injuries to several others and lodged protest with India.
However, according to sources, two Pakistan army personnel were among five persons dead on Pakistani side while eight to 10 others including troopers were injured. Several Pakistani posts and bunkers suffered extensive damages in retaliatory shelling and firing by the troops.
Majority of casualties and damages of Pakistan took place in their Nezapir sector on the Line of Control (LoC), which follows opposite Shahpur sector of Poonch district, which was targeted by Pakistan army last evening, leading to injuries to five civilians including a woman, who were undergoing treatment in the hospital.
“The Pakistani casualties including that of army took place in Fatehpur village of Nezapir sector in Haveli district,’’ sources said.
Officially, Pakistan only named its three civilians killed in the firing as 32-year-old Naveed and 25 year old Ansar, both brothers and their sister Asma (20).
Sources, however, said that at least two Pakistan army personnel were killed and some others were injured in retaliatory firing by the Indian side in Nezapir sector. However, as usual, Pakistan didn’t name its army casualties. Few Pakistan army personnel were among those injured.
Meanwhile, in view of fresh round of mortar shelling and firing between Indo-Pak troops along the LoC in Poonch district, the proposed resumption of cross-LoC bus and trade today onwards on Poonch-Rawlakote route through Chakan-Da-Bagh, didn’t mature. The cross-LoC travel and trade remained suspended for eighth consecutive week today.
Sources said the Battalion Commander level meeting between India and Pakistan held at Chakan-Da-Bagh on August 23 had almost agreed that if everything goes well, cross-LoC travel and trade will resume from Monday i.e. today. However, Pakistan didn’t keep its promise and resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling and firing on the civilian areas in Poonch sector last evening, forcing the Indian side to retaliate.
“In view of fresh skirmishes between the two hostile neighbours, cross-LoC bus didn’t operate today for eighth consecutive week. Also, there will be no weekly trade from Tuesday to Friday,’’ sources said. The bus operates every Monday while weekly trade takes place between two parts of divided State i.e. Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) for four days every week.
However, the trade and travel between two sides was suspended on July 10 in view of heavy mortar shelling and firing by Pakistani troops in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch including Chakan-Da-Bagh from where the bus crossed into Rawlakote from Poonch. However, cross-LoC trade and travel is going on through second route—Uri-Muzaffarabad in the Kashmir valley.
It may be mentioned here that 116 PoK citizens remained stranded in Poonch and Rajouri districts for about six weeks due to suspension of cross-LoC bus. Only last Monday, they were deported to PoK from Uri-Muzaffarabad route. Similarly, three civilians from Poonch, who had gone to PoK remained held up there for six weeks and had returned from Uri route last week.
At the Battalion Commanders level flag meeting at Chakan-Da-Bagh on August 23, India had categorically told their Pakistani counterparts that they were trying to facilitate infiltration attempts by terrorists through cross-border shelling and firing. It had also charged Pakistani troops with deliberately targeting civilian locations on the Indian side.
Sources said mortar shelling and firing from Pakistan side has stopped after aggressive measures taken last night by the Indian troops on the LoC in Poonch sector.
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