Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC in Poonch

In the first ceasefire violation this month, Pakistani troops on Tuesday targeted Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian forces to retaliate.

“Pakistani troops opened unprovoked small arms firing at forward posts in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir around 1130 hours today,” Public Relations Officer Defence Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta said.

The Indian Army 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,” Lt Col Mehta said.

The firing, the first in the month of August, was done by Pakistan’s 641 Mujahid Regiment on Indian Posts in Sher Shakti forward belt in Poonch sector.

General Officer Commanding of Nagrota-based 16 Corps, Lieutenant General K H Singh had recently said that the Indian Army has been directed to give a befitting reply to Pakistani troops over ceasefire violations, firing and infiltration attempts from across the border.

Eight ceasefire violations by Pakistan were witnessed in July. In June, it violated the ceasefire 5 times along the LoC and IB in Jammu region. There were 19 incidents of ceasefire violation along the LoC in April-May.