Pakistan violates ceasefire again

Jammu, Aug 17: Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night, and also in Kargil district for the first time in 14 years, a defence spokesman said on Saturday.

Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions in Mendhar and Hamidpur areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, the spokesman told IANS.

"Unprovoked firing occurred at our positions from the Pakistani side at 9.30 p.m. yesterday (Friday) at Mendhar and Hamidpur areas of the LoC in Poonch. Our troops retaliated to silence the enemy fire," he said.

Pakistani troops also fired at Indian positions in Drass and Kaksar areas of Kargil district in Ladakh region, sources in the army's Leh-based 14 corps said.

"Pakistan used light weapons to target our positions in Drass and Kaksar areas of Kargil yesterday (Friday). Our troops gave calibrated response to the Pakistan fire. It is for the first time after 1999 that Pakistani troops have fired at our positions in Kargil," the sources said.

Low intensity firing at Indian positions from across the LoC had also taken place in Kargil district on Aug 2 and 10, the sources added.

A full-fledged armed conflict between India and Pakistan had broken out in Kargil in 1999 that had virtually brought the two south Asian nuclear powered nations to war.

IANS