Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 16: Pakistan Army last night resumed heavy firing in Digwar, Mandi and Garhi areas of Poonch sector and fired mortars towards civilians areas after nearly a fortnight as people in forward areas spent sleepless night in panic.
The firing and mortar shelling continued for more than four hours.
At 9.30 pm tonight, Pakistan Army violated ceasefire in parts of Mendhar sector and resorted to heavy firing and shelling in forward areas. Indian side retaliated. Exchange of firing was on when the reports last came in.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Pakistani troops started simultaneous firing at Mandi, Garhi and Digwar sectors in Poonch district at 11.30 pm last night. Pakistan Army used automatic and medium firearms and mortars to target forward Indian posts and civil areas.
“The Indian response was equal and effective,’’ they said.
According to people living in forward areas, the firing was very intense in Digwar sector, about four kilometers from Poonch town. Deafening sound of firing and mortar shell explosions was heard right up to Poonch town, they said, adding the people in Jhalas, Salhutri, Poonch town and surrounding areas had sleepless night.
The firing ceased at 3.45 am.
Pakistan Army’s forward posts including New Ranger, Digwar, Kabristan and Lower Seeriyan manned by 36 Punjab and 14 Sindh were engaged in heavy firing in Sabjian sector, sources said, adding the Indian troops silenced their guns by giving a very effective retaliation.
In Mandi and Garhi sectors, six forward posts of the Army came under heavy firing from across the Line of Control (LoC) prompting the Indian side to retaliate.
Sources said some of the mortar shells fired by the Pakistani troops landed close to civilian population and exploded with bangs. However, there were no casualties or damage in any area on the Indian side in the firing. Casualties, if any, on the other side were not known.
According to eyewitnesses, people in Poonch town and other forward areas around Sabjian sector were frightened by heavy intensity of the firing last night. Most of them were sleepless.
Though firing from automatic weapons, small and medium firearms was taking place almost regularly from Pakistan side, the enemy troops used mortars after nearly a fortnight.
There had been reports that Pakistan Army was also trying to push trained militants into the Indian side under the cover of firing. Troops on this side had spotted the militants trying to infiltrate into the Indian side during exchange of firing. However, Army has foiled all attempts of Pakistan aimed at infiltration from across the LoC, sources said.
Tensions had escalated between Indian and Pakistani troops on the intervening night of August 5 and 6 after five Indian soldiers were killed by Pakistani troops in Sarla battalion area at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch sector. Since then, Pakistani troops had regularly been violating ceasefire on the LoC prompting the Indian Army to retaliate.
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