Pakistan appears to have learnt no lessons from the surgical strike carried out by the Indian Army on terror bases located in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on September 29 last year. In an act of pure cowardice and unprovoked barbarism, a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army launched an attack on a patrol party of the Indian Army crossed over into the Indian side and mutilated the bodies of two soldiers martyred in unprovoked shelling from the Pakistani side.
In a press release, the Northern Command of Indian Army said, “Pak Army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts on the line of control in Krishna Ghati Sector. Simultaneously a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating in between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak Army the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated. Such despicable act of Pakistan Army will be appropriately responded.”
Interestingly, the action comes just a day after Pakistan’s Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa visited the Haji Pir sector in Pakistan occupied Kashmir along the Line of Control and made provocative statements against India. While his statements had hinted at military action, one wonders whether such an act of cowardice is what Pakistan believes as action my its Army.
According to a press release by the ISPR, Gen Bajwa said: “Indian aggression and frustration vents at the people of IOK and Pakistani villages along LOC/Working Boundary, but we must keep our response purely in military domain in accordance with our values.
“The violence perpetuated by Indian Forces in IOK is state-sponsored terrorism by all definitions. This violence riles up passions on this side of the LOC as well as people of Pakistan can not remain indifferent to the barbaric treatment meted out to defenceless Kashmiris including women and children.
“The Kashmiris have a right to live without fear and repression. We will always stand by their rightful political struggle for the right of self-determination and recourse to basic human rights.”
The ceasefire violation took place around 8:30 AM. Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh and Head Constable Prem Sagar of the BSF's 200 Battalion were killed in the attack, a senior officer of the paramilitary force said.
"At about 0830 hours, there was heavy firing from Pakistani (army) posts at BSF posts along the LoC in Krishnagati sector of Poonch district with rockets and automatic weapons," the officer told PTI.
Another BSF jawan, Rajendra Singh, was injured in the firing. Troops guarding the border line retaliated effectively, the officer said.
Pakistan had violated the ceasefire in Poonch sector on April 19 and shelled mortars on forward posts in Noushera sector on April 17. Pakistan had resorted to firing in the same sector on April 8, in Poonch district on April 5, in Bhimbher Gali (BG) sector on April 4 and twice on April 3 in Balakote and (Digwar) Poonch sectors, according to PTI.
