JAMMU : Repeatedly violating the ceasefire in the last 36 hours, Pakistani troops opened fire at forward posts along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, injuring a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan.
“There was sniper firing from the Pakistan side this morning along the international border on three posts, including the Alfa Machial Border Out Post (BOP) area in the Kanachak belt of Jammu district,” a senior BSF officer said.
BSF jawans responded effectively, leading to heavy exchanges which lasted till 1400 hours, he said.
BSF Jawan Pawan Kumar received a bullet in his chest and his legs have been paralysed due to the injury to his spinal cord, doctors at GMC hospital said. He has been referred to AIIMS in Delhi, they added.
Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire three times since yesterday in two different sectors in the Jammu region. Three days after the killing of five jawans, Pakistan troops had yesterday targeted several Indian posts in Poonch district.
Pakistan troops also opened small arms fire at Indian posts in the Balakote-Mendhar forward belt in Poonch district at around 1130 hours today, Army officials said.
Indian troops returned fire but there was no loss of life or damage to property in the exchange, they said.
Pakistani Army had fired 7,000 rounds of heavy Pika ammunition and mortar shells during the exchanges which lasted seven hours along the Line of Control yesterday.
“Pakistan troops resorted to unprovoked firing on several Indian forward Posts along LoC in the Durga Battalion area in Poonch district at around 2220 hours last night,” defence spokesman SN Acharya said.
The firing which continued till 0430 hours represented the most major ceasefire violation in recent days, the spokesman added.
Pakistani troops had also resorted to sniper firing on BSF jawans along the international border on August 5 in Narainpur in Samba district, injuring BSF Head Constable Ram Niwas Meena belonging to 200th Battalion.
Meena, who also suffered a bullet injury in his chest, is critical and undergoing treatment at AIIMS.
There have been 57 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops this year between January 1 to August 5, which is 80 per cent more than the corresponding period last year.
Meanwhile, at Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman‚ Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said their forces “responded with restraint and responsibility.”
“Indian border security forces resorted to unprovoked firing upon Pakistan Rangers (paramilitary force) in the Sialkot sector this morning,” the spokesman said in a statement.
No one was hurt in the fresh incident of firing along the LoC.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire along the LoC.
“It is important to maintain ceasefire along the LoC,” the Pakistani spokesman said.
Chaudhry said the Prime Minister of Pakistan has stressed the need to optimally use the existing channels and strengthen the bilateral political and military channels to defuse tensions and establish peace.
“Pakistan wishes durable peace in the region to create conducive environment for economic development and well being of the people,” he said. (AGENCIES)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel