Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 8: Pakistan army today again violated ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani and Nowshera sectors targeting forward defence posts and civilian locations causing damage to houses and confining the people in their homes and bunkers during the day.
Official said Pakistan army started firing mortars and resorted to firing with heavy weapons in several forward areas of Nowshera and Sunderbani sectors in Rajouri district at 10 am today when the people were working in their fields.
“Some of the people managed to rush back to their houses or bunkers while others had to take shelter in nearby structures as intense shelling and firing continued for more than two hours,” they said, adding that the Indian Army retaliated effectively inflicting heavy damages on Pakistan side.
Though some houses were hit by mortars and bullets in forward areas of Nowshera sector, there was no report of any casualties on the Indian side.
Officials, however, said panic gripped the border residents in the two sectors as the shelling from Pakistani side was intense, causing damage to some houses. Even after the mortar shelling stopped, people remained inside their houses and bunkers.
A day before, Pakistan army had pushed six civilians of their side near the LoC for protest in Nowshera sector. However, Army had exercised restraint and didn’t open firing on the civilians but fired few shots in the gaps to disperse the people.
On Saturday, Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing and shelling in Krishna Ghati and Poonch sectors in nearby Poonch district. Indian troops retaliated befittingly and the exchange of fire between the two sides continued throughout the day but there was no report of any casualty or major damage on the Indian side.
Casualties or damage on Pakistan side across Poonch sector couldn’t be ascertained.
The latest round of firing and shelling from Pakistan ended nearly a week-long lull in the shelling along the LoC.
On September 1, an Army personnel was martyred when Pakistani army targeted forward posts and villages in Shahpur-Kerni sector, raising the death toll in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri since August 5 when special Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir were scrapped, to five including four soldiers and a civilian.
In Indian retaliation, at least 17 Pakistan army personnel have been killed and many others injured. Pakistan army has also suffered heavy infrastructural damages in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops.
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