Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 12: Army foiled a major infiltration attempt by Pakistan backed militants on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector in wee hours of this morning forcing the infiltrators to retreat and effecting major recoveries while an Army Havaldar Danesh Kumar was injured as Pakistani troops continued heavy mortar shelling and firing at Krishna Ghati, Mankot and Lam sectors in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Official sources said alert Indian troops observed movement of infiltrators at 3.30 am today along LoC in Poonch sector, who were trying to sneak into the Indian side with active support of Pakistan army,
On being fired upon by the Army, the militants retaliated but retreated as troops stepped-up firing to eliminate them.
In the morning, Army conducted searches in the area and recovered eight rucksacks carrying one combat jacket each, one UBGL, one binocular, one radio set with antenna, seven shawls, medicines, ready to eat meat, one mobile phone, battery cells, eatables and clothing.
Click here to watch video
A major tragedy has been averted with thwarting of the infiltration attempt, sources said.
Meanwhile, Havaldar Danesh Kumar was injured in continued Pakistan shelling at Sagra in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district this evening. The injured has been hospitalized in stable condition.
Pakistan army continued heavy mortar shelling and firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Krishna Ghati, Mankot and Lam sectors in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri prompting the Indian troops to give effective reply that led to heavy exchanges on LoC during the day.
Pakistan army was directly targeting civilian population in most of the areas but there were no reports of civilian casualties or major damage on the Indian side but the civilians remained confined to their houses and bunkers all along the LoC to survive.
Sources said that Pakistan army started mortar shelling in most parts of Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district at 6.20 am and Lam sector in Nowshera area of Rajouri district at 8.45 am targeting forward defence locations and civilian population. Indian side retaliated very effectively.
Sources said exchange of shelling and firing continued till 8.15 am at Krishna Ghati sector and 10.10 am in Lam sector.
Pakistan army used small arms, automatic guns, recoilless rifles and mortar shells in pounding forward locations and civilian areas, sources said, adding number of shells fell in the civilian areas, creating panic among the local people.
At about 7 pm, Pakistan started mortar shelling and heavy arms firing at Dabraj, Balnoi and Sagra in Mankote sector, which continued till late tonight. Here also, the Indian side retaliated very effectively.
Sources said some houses in forward areas of Mankote sector developed cracks as mortar shells exploded inside the villages.
In Lehran village of Lam sector of Nowshera in Rajouri district, small forest area caught fire due to explosions of mortar shells, fired by Pakistan. However, the fire was brought under control within few hours.
Panic-stricken people in all shelling hit villages remained confined to their houses and didn’t venture out. According to sources, Pakistan army was directly targeting civilian population by aiming 82mm and 120mm mortar shells towards the villages.
Sources said the authorities in both Poonch and Rajouri districts were monitoring situation in the shelling-hit villages but so far there has been no migration in any area. Authorities were ready to meet with any eventuality and have kept Contingency Plan in place, if the need arises.
“Most of the villages in forward areas were completely deserted with people not moving out of their houses even after mortar shelling stopped at some places in the afternoon anticipating spurt in hostilities along the LoC,’’ sources said.
Authorities have made arrangements for evacuating the civilians in case the situation warrants or there was any injury in Pakistan firing and shelling.
Yesterday, Indian Army had retaliated very effectively and decimated several forward posts and bunkers of Pakistani troops, who were shelling the forward villages. Pakistan had also claimed civilian casualties, both fatal and non-fatal, in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops.
The ceasefire violations along Line of Control in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch by Pakistani troops have become routine. Sources didn’t rule out the possibility of Pakistani army trying to facilitate infiltration attempts by the militants on the LoC under the cover of mortar shelling and firing but said the Indian Army was maintaining very high alert to thwart the intrusion bids
Follow our WhatsApp channel
