SRINAGAR:Two girls were injured on Friday when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked heavy shelling and firing from across the Line of Control (LoC) at Uri sector in frontier Kashmir district of Baramulla.
Official sources said that Pakistani troops fired mortar shells on Friday afternoon, targeting forward posts and civilian areas. Indian troops retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted for over an hour, sources said.
The girls, identified as Shanaza Bano and Thaira Bano, were injured in the shelling and rushed to a hospital. This is the second time that Pakistan violated ceasefire in Uri in less than a week. On April 27, no one was injured in the violation.
Pakistan has been violating ceasefire frequently in north Kashmir. Three civilians, including a woman and child, were killed on April 12 when Pakistan troops violated ceasefire in Kupwara.
Five heavily-armed militants and as many soldiers were killed in an encounter which ensued after alert troops foiled a major infiltration bid from PoK in Keran sector on April 5. Official sources said that Pakistan troops are violating ceasefire to facilitate militants to infiltrate into Kashmir valley.
“A large number of militants are waiting at launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to sneak into this side,” they said. However, they said despite facing all odds, Indian troops remained on high alert along the Line of Control (LoC) to foil any militant attempt to infiltrate into this side.
There were a total of 646 incidents of ceasefire violation along the International Border (IB) as well as the LoC between January 1 and February 23 this year, an official said. He said over 3,200 ceasefire violations by Pakistan’s troops were recorded in 2019. (agencies)
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