Pak troops violate ceasefire accord,fire at Indian posts in Poonch

This is the first time since the 2003 ceasefire understanding that Paksitani troops resorted to mortar shelling.

The Indian Army responded appropriately,Nath said,adding the firing from Paksitan side stopped by midnight.

The firing restarted in the early hours of Wedensday when Pakistani troops again pounded the Indian side with rockets and mortar shells around 5.30 am. This continued till 6.30 am but Pakistani troops continued to fire intermittently.

There was no loss of life or property,Lt Colonel Nath said.

This was the second ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Poonch sector since last night. It is learnt the Pakistani troops fired over 45 rockets and 40 mortar shells and also used light and medium machine guns in the assault.

Brigadier General Staff (BGS),16 Corps,Brig S Dua said dozens of mortars and rockets were fired,which exploded away from the posts without causing any damage. Dua said: “This was clearly an unprovoked act and ceasefire violation”.

Indian troops guarding the border took positions and fired back resulting in heavy exchanges for over an hour,he said.

“It is a ceasefire violation and was aimed at infiltrating militants into this side of the LoC”,he said.

Pakistani troops fired from their Roza,Battal,Pimple and Daku posts and targeted Indian forward posts of Naveli,Nagi Tekri,Kranti,Kripan,Chajja and Gorda in Balnoie forward belt of Krishnagati and Jallas sub-sectors in Poonch.

This is fifth time this year that Pakistani troops have fired mortars bombs and rockets at Indian posts. On May 23,Pakistani troops had fired rockets and mortars in Poonch’s

KG sector.

The Pak troops had also fired mortars and rockets at Indian posts on September 18 and before that on August 19 in the same sector.

They had violated the ceasefire along the LoC and targeted six Indian posts with mortar,rockets and small arms fire in Poonch sector on the intervening night of July 15 and 16.

There was also a ceasefire violation along the International Border in R S Pura sub-sector’s Kharkhola and Bodla Border Out Posts on July 15.

There were six ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in the last two weeks. Pakistani troops had fired at forward positions along the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati area of Poonch sector on the night of July 5 night.

On July 9,Pakistani Rangers had violated the ceasefire again by resorting to small arms firing along IB on Khawara Border Out Post in Mawa belt of Samba district.

Pakistani troops had also violated the ceasefire on July 7 when they opened fire at the Chak Pagwari BOP in Pargwal in Jammu.

On July 6,Pakistani troops had fired at Pindi,Mala Bela and Chak Phagwari border outpost around 10.30 pm in which a BSF jawan was killed and a villager injured.

Pakistani troops had also fired at the Chak Pagwari BOP on July 5 and killed BSF trooper Sultan Ali. (With agency inputs)