Two persons were killed and three injured after Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling this morning along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.
In the third ceasefire violation in last three days, Pakistani Army launched indiscriminate firing using 82 mm and 120 mm mortar bombs, drawing sharp retaliation from the Indian Army.
“Pakistani Army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars from 0715 hours along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector”, PRO, Ministry of Defence (MoD) Jammu- Lt Col Manish Mehta said.
The Indian Army posts are retaliating strongly and effectively, he said, adding that the firing is currently going on.
A BSF jawan suffered minor injuries on Friday when Pakistani Rangers violated ceasefire along the International Border and fired few bullets, warning the Indian troops working ahead of fence with a tractor in Arnia area in Jammu district.
BSF troops guarding the IB had also retaliated. On May 10th and 11th, Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling and firing of automatic weapons on civilian areas near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, killing a woman and injuring two people including husband of the deceased lady. Two Pakistani soldiers were injured in retaliation by the Indian side.
In the wake of the Pakistani action in Naushera tehsil of Rajouri district, the schools in the area were closed down and an evacuation plan was activated under which over 1200 people from various border hamlets are being shifted to safer places. After the Pakistani shelling, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Nowshera tehsil had issued an order, directing closure of all schools in the area as a precautionary measure.
An evacuation plan was activated for shifting over 1,500 people from various border hamlets to safer places.
The government had last month said that Pakistani security forces had violated the ceasefire 268 times in the last one year. Nine perons were killed in these incidents.
Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre had said that between April 2016 and March 2017, the maximum of 88 violations were witnessed in November 2016 followed by 78 in October 2016 and 22 in March this year.
The ceasefire between India and Pakistan came into force in November 2003.
(With PTI inputs)
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