Pakistan violates ceasefire again

Jammu, Aug 20: After a day-long lull, Pakistani troops again violated the ceasefire by firing at forward Indian posts along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian forces to retaliate.

"Pakistani troops opened unprovoked firing from small arms and automatic weapons at our forward posts in Hamirpur sub-sector in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir around 2100 hours late last night," Public Relations Officer, Defence said here today.

Indian troops took positions and responded with equal caliber weapons to Pakistan's firing which resulted in intermittent exchanges of fire, he said. "There was no loss of life or damage to property in the firing on this side of LoC," the PRO said.

There have been 11 ceasefire violation in the past ten days along the Indo-Pak border by Pakistani troops and 13 such violation during this month.

On the intervening night of August 17 and 18, Pakistani troops had resorted to night-long heavy mortar shelling and firing of automatic weapons targeting 20 Border Out Posts and civilians areas along IB in Arnia and R S Pura sub-sectors of Jammu district, in which one villager was injured.

On August 17, Pakistan troops had violated ceasefire twice by resorting to heavy firing with automatic and small arms along Arnia sub-sector in International Border and Hamirpur sub-sector in Jammu and Poonch districts.

On August 14, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked small arms and automatic weapons firing on Indian posts along LoC in Hamirpur sector of Poonch district. Besides this, there were two other violations of ceasefire in Balakote and Hamirpur sectors in Poonch on August 14 and August 13 night.

On August 13 morning, Pakistani troops jad fired on forward posts along LoC in Poonch district, in which one jawan was injured. Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy firing on five BoPs and civilian areas along the IB in Arnia-R S Pura areas in Jammu district on August 12.

On August 11, two BSF jawans were among four persons injured when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire in Arnia and RS Pura belts of Jammu district. Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire on August 10 by targeting Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the LoC in Mendhar sector of Poonch district, prompting Indian forces to retaliate.

PTI