Hours after Shinde’s visit,Pak resumes mortar shelling in Punch district

Giving details,sources said that heavy mortar shelling came in Mendhar and Tarkundi areas of Poonch district along the LoC around 10 pm and it soon spread to Garkhal and Sidherwan areas of Pargwal along the international border.

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Heavy mortar shelling by Pakistan was also reported at over half a dozen places in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors as well.

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While mortar shelling in Pargwal area came after a lull of 48 hours,Pakistani Rangers had fired on Arnia and Ramgarh sectors last night as well.

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Earlier during the day when Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was reviewing situation along the international border with senior BSF officials,Pakistani mortar shells started raining in Bhimber Gali sector today.

Giving details,a defence ministry spokesman Lt Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing on various forward Indian positions in Hamirpur area at 10.35 am. They used small arms,automatic weapons and mortars,he said,adding that the Indian Army also retaliated with equal caliber weapons. The exchange of fire continued till 11.15 am.

The latest ceasefire violation in BG sector has come after nearly a week as the last time,Pakistani mortars had pounded the area on October 15. An Army’s Launce Naik was killed in that mortar shelling in the area.

There has been spurt in unprovoked firing by Pakistan for the last two months,sources said,adding that they were targeting Indian positions only to provide a cover fire to terrorists waiting across the border for infiltrating into the Indian territory. Last night also,Paksitani Rangers had resorted to mortar shelling at various places in Abdullian area,causing panic among local villagers.

In the wake of continued firing from Pakistan,people in Suchetpur area of Samba district have already migrated from their village to a community hall near Kalibari. Apprehending more migration by people from border areas in the event of continued Pakistani firing,the state government has already asked the civil administration to prepare a contingency plan to deal with such a situation.