For second consecutive day, Pakistani troops resort to mortar shelling along LoC in Poonch

Pakistani troops continued unprovoked mortar shelling along LoC on Friday (Express Photo/Shuaib Masoodi/Representational Image)

Pakistani troops continued unprovoked mortar shelling, besides firing small and automatic weapons, at various places along the Line of Control (LoC) in Krishna Ghati and Digwar sectors of Poonch district for the second day of Friday.

Sources said that after a brief lull during night, intense mortar shelling re-started from across the border in Khari Karmara area adjoining Chakkan Da Bagh cross LoC point near Poonch town in the morning. There have also heavy shelling in Sadotra and adjoining Krishna Ghati sector.

The Indian Army retaliated, however, there are no reports of casualty or damage on the Indian side so far. Yesterday, an Army jawan and a defence porter had died while six other personnel, including a porter, were injured in mortar shelling by Pakistan in Krishna Ghati sector.

Meanwhile, sources said schools in Digwar and Karmara areas have been closed for today in view of the intense shelling from across the border.

The latest round of mortar shelling and firing from Pakistan came only two days after it handed over a 35-year-old woman from Poonch to Indian troops at Chakkan Da Bagh. The Pakistani troops had described it “a gesture of goodwill and its efforts to maintain peace and tranquility along the Line of Control’’.

Sources attributed the escalation of shelling on borders to growing desperation on Pakistan side over its failure to push in armed terrorists into the state before the onset of winter when mountainous passes get closed due to snow fall. Alert BSF troops in Arnia sector had last month detected an incomplete cross border tunnel emanating from Pakistan side of the international border.

During the past two months, there have been nearly 50 infiltration attempts from across the border and 44 of them were successfully foiled by alert troops, sources said. A few terrorists who managed to enter the state have been eliminated, they added.

The shelling has also caused damage to residential houses at many places, making a sizeable number of people shift to safer places, while cross LoC trade and travel between two sides through Chakkan Da Bagh on Poonch-Rawalakote road remains suspended.

In retaliatory fire by Indian troops and BSF, Pakistan too has reportedly suffered heavy losses.