According to army officials, the India army is retaliating “strongly and effectively; to firing and shelling from across the border”.
An Army Naik was killed in unprovoked mortar shelling by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir. While defence spokesperson Lt Colonel Manish Mehta said that he was yet to get the details, police confirmed one casualty on the Indian side in Kalsiyan area. The deceased was on duty at a forward post, when a Pakistani mortar shell exploded nearby, sources said.
Pointing out that Pakistani troops used mortars, automatics and small arms fire, the sources said the ceasefire violation from across the border came around 4 am. However, the Indian Army retaliated strongly and befittingly to the cease fire violation, the source further said.
For the past few days, Pakistani troops have been resorting to mortar shelling and small arms fire at one or the other place almost on daily basis, sources said, adding that they had on Thursday resorted to heavy automatics, mortars and small arms fire in Laam area of Nowshera.
According to army officials, the India army is retaliating “strongly and effectively; to firing and shelling from across the border”.
Since May 1 this year, five people including an Army JCO and a BSF head constable have been killed and 12 others injured in unprovoked and indiscriminate mortar shelling and small arms fire at frequent intervals on the Indian side of the LoC by Pakistani troops in Rajouri and Poonch districts. The bodies of the Army JCO and BSF head constable were mutilated by Pakistan border action team (BAT) comprising its regular troops and terrorists.
The heightened tension along the LoC has already made an over 3,000 people including women and children migrate from their houses near the border to safer places. Of them, an over 1,000 are staying at camps set up by the district administration, while others have gone to the houses of their relatives.
A sizeable number of houses along the LoC have been damaged and scores of cattle killed or injured in shelling from across the border since May 1.
