Fayaz Bukhari
Aman Setu, Line of Control, Uri, Nov 21: Indian Army and Pakistan troops are holding flag meeting at Aman Setu on the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Baramulla district tomorrow to discuss the firing by Pakistani troops on Churanda village last month in which three civilians were killed.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Baramulla based 19 Division of the Army Major General Bipin Rawat told Excelsior that Army had asked for flag meeting with the Pakistani troops twice last month to discuss the firing on Churanda village.
The General said that Indian Army had asked for flag meeting on October 3 and October 17 but there was no response from Pakistani troops. He said that now they have finally agreed for the meeting which was conveyed to Army yesterday.
Army had asked for flag meeting with their Pakistani counterparts on October 3, a day after Pakistani troops fired heavily on Indian posts in Churanda village but there was no response from Pakistan. The next time Army asked for flag meeting was on October 17, a day after Pakistani mortar shells killed three civilians in Churanda village when a shell landed on a residential house.
The Indian side in Thursday’s meeting will be represented by the Battalion commander of Churanda battalion of Army’s Hajipeer Brigade. The meeting will be held at Aman Setu by the Army officer with his Pakistani counterpart.
The Army commander said that Army will take up the issue of continued firing in Churanda village in which three civilians were killed and harassment caused to the people of the village living on the LoC.
The Pakistani troops have been firing in Charade on the LoC since September this year soon after Army started renovating LoC bunkers and posts. Army has lodged protests several times with their Pakistani counterparts since September this year against ceasefire violations by Pakistan but Pakistani troops were denying any ceasefire violations.
The GOC said that the Army will also tell their Pakistani counterparts that the renovation of the bunkers is a routine affair and upgrading its forward post in Churanda village is aimed at keeping a tight vigil at the LoC.
Army sources said that for the past 5 days there have been no ceasefire violations in Churanda village. “This comes after Indian Army retaliation that led to pressure on the Pakistani troops from their own civilian population”, sources added.
Meanwhile, Army and police have launched a massive man hunt for the two injured militants in Lolab village of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district following reports that the two injured Jaish-e-Mohammad militants are being treated in these villages.
Army and police today conducted house to house searches in Devar, Andargam, Dilbagh, Kokerpati and Dardpora villages of Lolab area to trace out the two injured militants. These militants were injured during an Army operation in the forests of Devar on Sunday night and were brought for treatment to the Devar village by their colleagues.
The SOG Kupwara, and Army’s 28, 18, 47, 29 and 52 Rashtriya Rifles are conducting the operation against the JeM militants including JeM chief Qari Yasir who are trapped in Army cordon inside the forests since Friday.
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