People panicky but stay put in houses, bunkers
*10th consecutive night of ceasefire violation on LoC
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 4: The Line of Control (LoC) in almost entire Jammu and Kashmir remained tense for 10th consecutive night last night with Pakistan army resorting to unprovoked firing at several places prompting the Indian troops to retaliate effectively. Under the cover of firing, the Pakistani troops are also trying to facilitate infiltration by the terrorists into the Indian side.
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Pakistan army opened firing at several places in Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Nowshera, Sunderbani and Akhnoor sectors in the Jammu region and Baramulla and Kupwara in the Kashmir valley.
The Indian troops retaliated very effectively at all the places.
Army fired illumination rounds at several places to light up the area to ensure that the terrorists don’t manage to infiltrate under the cover of darkness. Besides retaliation to the firing, the Indian troops are also maintaining strict surveillance on the LoC to thwart any intrusion attempt by the terrorists from across the LoC, sources told the Excelsior.
“There have been reports that Pakistan army will try to push the infiltrators from the LoC for carrying out terror attacks under the cover of firing and darkness. In view of this, the Indian troops have been maintaining very high alert on the LoC,” the sources said.
Panic prevailed among the villagers living close to the LoC but they stayed put in their houses taking shelter in bunkers during night especially in the areas where Pakistan army resorted to firing.
Putting up brave front, the villagers said they will stay in their houses notwithstanding the Pakistani firing and, at the best, will move to bunkers during night hours.
The ceasefire violation by Pakistan was reported from eight places spread across five districts in the Union Territory during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday but there was no report of any casualty, the sources said.
This was the 10th consecutive night of unprovoked firing from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir, amid heightened tensions following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.
“During the night of May 3 and 4, Pakistan army posts resorted to unprovoked small arms fire across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Nowshera, Sunderbani and Akhnoor in J-K. Indian Army responded promptly and proportionately,” a Defence spokesperson said.
The ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border (IB) have been very rare since India and Pakistan renewed the ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021.
Taking precautionary measures, the panicked border villagers have already started cleaning their community and individual bunkers to make them habitable.
Since the night of April 24, just hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack; Pakistani troops have been resorting to unprovoked firing at various places along the LoC in J-K, starting from the Kashmir valley.
Initially beginning with unprovoked small arms firing at several posts along the LoC in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir, Pakistan swiftly expanded its ceasefire violations to the Poonch sector and subsequently to the Akhnoor sector of the Jammu region.
This was followed by small arms firing at several posts along the LoC in the Sunderbani and Nowshera sectors of Rajouri district. Subsequently, the firing expanded to Mendhar in Poonch district and the International Border in Pargwal sector in Jammu district.
The renewed ceasefire violations come despite a recent hotline conversation between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan, during which the Indian side is learnt to have cautioned Pakistan.
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