Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch, unprovoked shelling injures four

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Four people including two Border Security Force personnel were injured as Pakistani troops escalated unprovoked mortar shelling and small arms fire at various places along the Line of Control in Poonch district.

Apart from LoC, Pakitan resorted to ceasefire violation along the international border in Pargwal sector also during the day. The firing from across the border, which started around 3 pm was going on till reports last came in, sources said, adding that BSF troops retaliated and there had been no loss of life or property in Pargwal sector near Akhnoor in Jammu district.

However, two civilians and two BSF personnel were injured in the evening during unprovoked firing in Degwar and Sawjjian sectors of Poonch district respectively. While the identity of injured BSF personnel was yet not known, police identified the injured civilians as Khurshid Ahmad and Mohammad Kabir.

Significantly, ever since Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Nowshera sector, firing from across the LoC in Jammu region has got escalated. Only yesterday, he had said that going by an over 400 incidents of ceasefire violations every year since 2014, Pakistan does not seem interested in improving ties with India.

Barely a few hours before his arrival at Nowshera on Monday, Pakistani troops had resorted to unprovoked firing in Shahpur area in Poonch district on the Indian side. Later, during the day, a woman got injured in small arms fire by it in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

Only on September 7, two porters were injured as Pakistani troops in yet another incident of ceasefire violation in Poonch sector. The continuous tension along the LoC in Rajouri – Poonch districts has already led to suspension of cross border travel and trade between people of Jammu Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir through Chakkan Da Bagh on Poonch-Rawalakot road for past over two months.