Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 13: Pakistan army violated ceasefire at three places on the Line of Control (LoC) by resorting to firing and mortar shelling in Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts last night and tonight after day’s lull, triggering panic among the people living in forward villages, some of whom had taken shelter in safer areas.
After ceasefire violations at Krishna Ghati in Poonch, Bhimber Gali in Rajouri and Pallanwalla in Jammu last night, Pakistan army started heavy mortar shelling and firing on the Indian positions targeting forward Army posts and civilian areas in entire Balakote sector of Poonch district at 7.10 pm today.
The Indian side retaliated effectively, leading to heavy exchanges of firing, which were going on when the reports last came in.
Official sources said Pakistan was not only firing at forward Army posts but was also targeting the civilian areas directly, leading to panic among the border dwellers. A number of civilians, whose houses were within the firing range, have taken shelter in safer areas.
Pakistan has been resorting to heavy shelling and firing at various places on the LoC for the past 10 days. The Indian side was giving effectively reply to the firing and shelling in which Pakistan has suffered heavy losses.
Sources were not ruling out attempts by the Pakistan Army to facilitate infiltration attempts by the militants under the cover of shelling and firing.
Earlier last night, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire increasing the arch of firing and shelling along LoC by targeting scores of Indian posts and civilian areas in three districts of Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch, drawing retaliation from the Army.
The latest escalation from Pakistani side is apparently aimed at helping militants to infiltrate from across the border ahead of Independence Day to carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
There have been four ceasefire violations in three sectors of Krishna Ghati, Bhimbher Gali and Pallanwalla in Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu districts overnight and a total of seven such violations since yesterday, they said.
Troops guarding the LoC retaliated resulting in exchanges, official sources said, adding there was no loss of life or injury to anyone in the firing.
Pakistan troops resorted to small arms firing intermittently on forward posts along LoC in KG, BG and Pallanwalla sectors of Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu districts between 8 pm yesterday and 5 am this morning, they said.
There was firing from Pakistan between 2000 hours to 2015 hours in KG sector, 1230 hours to 0130 hours in BG sector and 0100 to 0110 hours and 0415 hours to 0510 hours in Pallanwalla sector overnight, sources said.
There have been 26 violations of the 2003 ceasefire in August this year and it is fifth consecutive day of firing and shelling by Pakistan along LoC in Jammu region.
Last month, there were 19 ceasefire violations in which four persons, including three jawans, were killed and 14 others injured.
Pakistan violated ceasefire 192 times along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir till July 26 this year, Government had told Lok Sabha.
Yesterday, Pakistani troops targeted Army posts and civilian areas with automatic weapons, mortar bombs and rockets in Sabzian-Mandi and Poonch sectors.
A youth was killed and two others, including a BSF jawan, were injured when Pakistani troops had targeted border outposts and hamlets along the International Border in 4 sectors of Kanachak, Pargwal, Tawi and R S Pura in Jammu district on August 4.
Three civilians and a jawan were injured in violations on August 7 and 8.
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