A building damaged in shelling at Nowshera sector in Jammu last month. (Source: PTI Photo)
Pakistani troops Sunday resorted to mortar shelling as well as automatic and small arms fire at forward Indian positions in Mendhar and Mankote areas of Poonch district in J&K. In Tangdhar sector too, Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged fire.
Pointing out that Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked, indiscriminate firing, the Army said it retaliated to the provocation. The exchange of fire continued till 10 am, the Army said.
On-and-off firing by Pakistani troops has happened despite both sides holding a flag meeting at Chakkan Da Bagh on August 23 when Pakistani officers assured their Indian counterparts of maintaining peace along the LoC.
There was no exchange of Eid greetings and exchange of sweets between India and Pakistan at any place along the LoC in the Jammu region, including Chakkan Da Bagh, on Saturday. Instead, there was firing in Balnoi area where BSF ASI Kamaljit Singh was killed a day earlier.
There has been no cross-LoC travel and trade between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir through Chakkan Da Bagh on the Poonch-Rawalakot road for over two months.
Since May 1, nearly a dozen people have been killed and many 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 frequent exchanges along the LoC have made over 3,000 people move from their houses near the border to safer places. Of them, over 1,000 are staying at camps set up by the government, while others have gone to the houses of their relatives.
This is the first time in recent months that a ceasefire violation has been reported in villages that are heavily populated in Tanghdar. The fresh ceasefire violation has caused panic in Amrohi, Sadpora and Chatkerian villages that are right on the Line of Control. Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia confirmed the ceasefire violation in the Tangdhar sector. ‘’We have no reports of casualty. The firing was responded to by our troopers,” he said.
