Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 6: An Army Major was injured as Pakistani troops again resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district twice during last 24 hours, which was replied by the Indian side very effectively.
Sources said Pakistani troops violated ceasefire last night for about two hours and this evening for about one and a half hour in Nowshera sector, targeting forward posts of the Army and civilian locations. The Indian side retaliated effectively, leading to heavy exchanges.
An Army Major identified as Abhishek Banerjee sustained minor injuries in last night’s mortar shelling at a forward post in Nowshera sector. He was evacuated from the site of shelling and firing by his colleagues and admitted to hospital. His condition was stated to be stable.
This evening at around 5 pm, Pakistan army again pounded forward defence locations in Lam and Janghar areas of Nowshera sector, with heavy mortars and using automatic and semi-automatic weapons. The Indian side responded equally. The exchange of shelling and firing continued for about one and a half hours.
There were reports that Pakistani troops had suffered heavy damages in the Indian retaliation in Nowshera sector but exact details of the enemy losses couldn’t be ascertained immediately.
“There was heavy damage on Pakistan side in retaliatory shelling and firing by the Indian troops both last night as well as today evening,’’ sources pointed out.
Not only the defence locations, Pakistani troops also targeted civilian areas in Nowshera sector during the ceasefire violations. Though some of the mortar shells fell in the civilian areas, there were no casualties or damage, sources said, adding that some people had narrow escape in Pakistan shelling and firing.
On Wednesday, a man and his daughter were injured when the neighbouring country’s troops fired mortar bombs at forward posts and targeted civilian areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector.
Pakistani troops also fired using small arms and automatic weapons and targeted the Sair and Kadli hamlets and forward posts of the Indian Army, sources said.
On Tuesday, an Army jawan was killed while four others were injured as Pakistani troops fired mortar bombs at forward posts in Krishna Ghati sector along the LoC in Poonch district.
The death toll due to Pakistani shelling along the LoC this year has gone up to 27. The dead included 13 security personnel and five members of a family who lost their lives when a shell hit their house in Balakote sector of Poonch district on March 18.
Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire along the LoC and the International Border over 650 times this year.
Meanwhile, Pakistani troops deployed along the (LoC) in Tanghdar sector of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district today violated ceasefire by targeting Army’s forward posts.
Army retaliated and firing was going on from both the sides. Army said that Pakistani troops resorted to ceasefire violations to push in infiltrators into Kashmir. There are over 150 militants waiting on the launch pads along the LoC for infiltration.
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