Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 6: Pakistani troops today violated border ceasefire for the second time in less than a week by resorting to small arms firing and mortar shelling on forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Shahpur sector of Poonch district.
“The Pakistan army troops resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing and shelling on forward Indian Army posts along LoC in Shahpur and surrounding areas of Poonch sector at 12.20 am today,” official sources told the Excelsior.
The Indian troops immediately retaliated and gave an effective response to Pakistan.
Sources said the Pakistan army also shelled forward posts with heavy mortars and opened fire with small Arms and automatic weapons. At the same time, they also targeted forward villages in Shahpur and Kandi areas throughout the night.
The intermittent exchange of firing and shelling continued till 10.30 am today.
“Our troops responded appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported till the report last came in. There was no civilian casualties though some houses and cow sheds suffered minor damages as mortar shells exploded close to them in early hours of this morning” sources added.
Several mortar shells, fired by Pakistan army their posts across the LoC, also fell close to a famous Ziarat. However, there was no damage to the Ziarat.
The civilians and their cattle had narrow escape in some of the cases as mortar shells exploded close to their houses. As the shelling stopped in the morning at 10.30 am, the people came out of their houses and resented unprovoked firing and shelling by Pakistan. There was strong resentment among the people against Pakistani troops for targeting the famous and widely revered Ziarat in Shahpur.
There was also panic among the people over revival of mortar shelling and firing by the Pakistani troops on the LoC as last year, many civilians were killed or injured and their houses damaged in the shelling. Several cattle had also perished in the shelling.
Sources said Pakistan was frustrated as the troops haven’t allowed infiltration attempts by the militants to succeed on the LoC in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch.
Today’s ceasefire violation is second in less than a week. On September 2, Pakistan troops violated ceasefire by firing on forward Army posts along LoC in Akhnoor sector in Jammu district in which one Army jawan was killed and another injured.
Earlier on August 14, 2016, a 50-year-old woman was injured when the Pakistan army violated the ceasefire twice and targeted Indian posts on the Line of Control in Poonch sector in two different areas.
Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 others injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, sources said.
While 253 incidents of ceasefire violations took place along the International Border (IB), 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, they said.
Around 8,000 people were temporarily affected due to the ceasefire violations and had to be shifted to safer locations in 2015.
Troops have been maintaining high alert along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts to thwart infiltration attempts by the militants.
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