I-Day bonhomie over, Pakistan targets Indian posts again

After a two-day lull, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire twice on Sunday by resorting to heavy firing with automatic and small arms along International Border and Line of Control in Jammu and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, forcing Indian troops to retaliate.

"In major escalation, 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 0840 hours," a Defence spokesman said.

The spokesman said the Army troops 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," he said.

"Earlier in another such ceasefire violation, Pakistan Rangers resorted to heavy firing on 5-6 Border Out Posts (BoPs) in R S Pura and Arnia sub-sectors in Jammu district around 0200 hours", a BSF officer said.

The BSF troops guarding the borderline with Pakistan responded with equal caliber weapons to Pakistan's firing which resulted in intermittent exchanges of fire, which has stopped late this morning, he said.

"There was no loss of life or injury to any in the firing on this side of IB," he said.

There were reports that Pakistani Rangers also fired 82-mm mortars on BoPs and some civilian areas in R S Pura.

There have been 10 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along LoC and IB in Jammu region during past 9 days and 11 in August this year. There was no ceasefire violation for past two days as gun fell silent along IB and LoC on August 15 and 16 after a nearly week-long heavy firing exchanges along Indo-Pak border.

The last ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops took place on August 14, when they resorted to unprovoked small arms and automatic weapons firing on Indian posts along LoC in Hamirpur sector of Poonch district around 1730 to 1810 hours.

Besides this, there were two other violations of ceasefire in Balakote (Mendhar) and Hamirpur sectors in Poonch on August 14 morning and August 13 night.

On August 13, Pakistani troops had resorted to firing by small arms and automatic weapons on forward posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Poonch district, in which one jawan was injured.

On August 12, Pakistani Rangers had resorted to heavy firing with mortar shells, small arms and automatic weapons on five BoPs and civilian areas along the IB in Arnia-R S Pura areas in Jammu district.

Two BSF jawans were among four persons injured on August 11 when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing with small arms, automatic weapons and mortar shells on 10 border out posts and civilian areas along the International Border in Arnia and RS Pura belts of Jammu district.

On August 10, Pakistani troops had violated ceasefire by targeting Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the Line of Control in Mendhar sector of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian forces to retaliate.

Pakistani troops violated had violated the ceasefire on August 8 by resorting to firing on Indian Posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Poonch district. On August 5, there was ceasefire violation along LoC in Poonch.