Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 24: After a lull of few days, Pakistani troops again pounded civilian areas and forward Army posts in Balakote and Sabzian sectors in Poonch last night in the latest incident of ceasefire violations.
Pakistani troops targeted the forward areas using 60 mm mortar bombs and automatic weapons in Balakote sector for about 20 minutes from 8 pm onward
Official sources said Army troops guarding the border responded effectively and appropriately silencing the Pakistani guns.
“There were no reports of any casualties or damage on the Indian side in shelling and firing,’’ sources said, adding shelling and firing was also reported in Sabzian sector for a very brief period last night.
The fresh ceasefire violation has occurred after a few days of lull along LoC in Poonch district.
On August 19, Pakistan Rangers resorted to three rounds of firing on a BSF Border Out Post (BoP) along IB in Samba sector around 10.30 pm without any casualty or injury to anyone.
There have been 52 violations of the border ceasefire agreement by Pakistan in August and over 245 ceasefire violations this year so far.
The latest incident came a day after Pakistan called off the NSA talks with India during which the issue of terrorism was to be discussed as per the understanding reached in Ufa, Russia, between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif.
In Ufa, the two countries had also agreed that heads of border guards — BSF and Pakistan Rangers — would meet soon to discuss how to bring peace on the border.
There is still uncertainty on this meeting.
Meanwhile, a tragedy was averted when the local people detected a powerful 82 mm mortar shell in the border village of Daboh in Samba sector this morning.
Sources said a civilian Sham Lal son of Punnu Ram R/o Daboh detected the mortar shell at 9.30 am and informed BSF and Samba police.
A Bomb Disposal Squad rushed to the spot and took the mortar shell into its custody. The shell was safely defused along Devak Nullah at village Barian of Samba district at 11.10 am.
The shell seems to have been fired by Pakistani Rangers during the shelling but it remained unexploded.
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