199 ceasefire violations by Pakistan till June: Manohar Parrikar

New Delhi, July 30: There have been 199 violations by Pakistan of the bilateral ceasefire with India till June, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Thursday.

The number of violations in 2014 was 583, and in 2013, the number was 347, the minister informed Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

This year, till June 30, two soldiers and two civilians have been killed, he said.

In 2014, 13 civilians and four soldiers died, while in 2013, 10 soldiers were killed.

"All violations of ceasefire are taken up with the Pakistani military authorities at the appropriate level through the established mechanism of hotlines, flag meetings as well as weekly talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries.

"The BSF, too, holds talks at various levels with its counterpart namely the Pakistan Rangers," Parrikar said in the reply.

"Diplomatically, India has repeatedly emphasised, including at the highest level, the need for Pakistan to uphold the sanctity of the Line of Control (LoC) and abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003 along the International Border and LoC," it added.

IANS