SRINAGAR: Pakistani troops on Tuesday violated ceasefire by firing mortars and other weapons at the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil sector in the frontier district of Kupwara in north Kashmir, a defence ministry spokesman said.
Col Rajesh Kalia said Pakistani troops fired mortars and with other automatic weapons, targeting forward posts and civilian areas in Machil sector this afternoon. There was no report of any loss of life or damage to property in the Pak shelling.
He said befitting response is given to Pak violation. However, the damage suffered by Pak troops across the border was not immediately clear.
During the past one week, Pak troops violated ceasefire in Tangdhar and Keran Kupwara besides Uri and Rampur sectors in Baramulla district during the past two weeks. A woman was killed and several others were injured besides many houses were damaged in the Pak shelling. Over 50 families also migrated to safer places from the border areas in Uri sector.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh has recently said that Pak troops are violating ceasefire to help militants at launch pads to near the LoC to infiltrate into this side before the higher reaches are closed due to snowfall. However, he said, troops guarding the LoC are on high alert to foil any such infiltration attempt.
He said majority infiltration attempts were foiled by the alert troops and militants killed immediately after they sneak into this side. However, he said, some militants had managed to sneak into this side.
The DGP had said that there are large number of militants in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) who sneak into this side under the cover of ceasefire violation by Pak troops. (AGENCIES)