J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire twice in Arnia Sector, BSF retaliating

Earlier in the day, Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy mortar shelling. (AP Photo)

Pakistan violated ceasefire yet again on Thursday in Arnia Sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s RS Pura, hours after it bombarded the same area with heavy mortar shelling, news agency ANI reported. BSF is retaliating, as per reports.

Earlier in the day, Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy mortar shelling in Arnia and R S Pura sectors. Sources told the Indian Express that maximum damage was done to Muslim Gujjars and some houses in the area were also partially damaged. The sources added that the Pakistani Rangers were firing 82 mm and 120 mm mortar shells.

On Wednesday, an Army soldier was killed and two others were injured in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir. “An army man identified as sepoy Rajesh Khatri sustained bullet injuries in the Pakistani troops firing. He was airlifted to army hospital in Srinagar, where he succumbed to injuries,” the official was quoted as saying.

Ever since the Army carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), there has been an increase in the casualties suffered by the security forces, the number of militants killed and a sharp rise in the ceasefire violations. According to government data, 110 militants were killed by the Army between January and September last year (the surgical strikes took place on the morning of September 29, 2016).

On September, 2016, the Army’s Special Forces carried out “surgical strikes” on terror launch pads inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the Uri attack by militants that left 17 soldiers dead.