Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 19: Exactly after a week, Pakistan army today again resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing with automatic weapons in civilian areas and targeting forward posts of the Indian Army at Bhimber Gali (BG) and Balakote sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.
Official sources said Pakistan army started shelling with two inch mortars and firing with automatic and semi automatic weapons in several forward areas falling under BG and Balakote sectors in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district at 6 am today.
“Troops from this side retaliated effectively, leading to heavy exchanges that continued for 45 minutes. The firing and shelling from Pakistan side stopped after befitting retaliation was given by the Indian side to silence the guns of enemy troops and prevent civilian casualties and loss of property,” they said.
However, Pakistan side claimed that a 60-year old woman was killed on their side at village Thandi in Kot Kehera sector opposite Bhimber Gali in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops.
There were no casualties of Army or civilians on the Indian side in Pakistani shelling and firing. Also, no major damage was reported as majority of mortar shells fired by Pakistan fell away from the civilian population and exploded harmlessly.
Sources described ceasefire violation by Pakistan army as totally unprovoked. They didn’t rule out the possibility of Pakistan army trying to push militants from other parts of the LoC after firing in one sector. The troops were already maintaining high alert along the LoC in anticipation of infiltration attempts by the militants under the garb of ceasefire violations by Pakistan army, which was trying to facilitate intrusions by the militants.
The people living in forward areas along the LoC in BG and Balakote sectors woke up to deafening sound of mortar shelling and firing from Pakistan and didn’t venture out of their houses till they stopped completely. Some of the people, who had come out of their houses and were on way to work in the fields, took shelter at the nearby safer areas to survive.
It was on March 12 on the occasion of Holi festival that Pakistani troops had resorted to heavy shelling and firing at Chakan-Da-Bagh along Poonch-Rawlakote route and several other forward villages including Khari, Karmara, Digwar etc on the LoC. The firing and shelling was extended to March 13, leading to suspension of cross-LoC bus on Poonch-Rawlakote route and trade for a day.
The Indian side had retaliating firing and shelling effectively.
Prior to that, an Army jawan was killed in Pakistan firing in Poonch sector on March 8.
According to sources, Pakistan army was getting desperate to infiltrate militants into the Indian territory from the Line of Control but finding the troops on high state of alert, they have been unable to do so.
“This has resulted into frustration on part of the Pakistani army, which was now resorting to unprovoked firing targeting the troops and civilian population,” sources said, adding that the troops were maintaining high alert all along the LoC to ensure that the militants didn’t manage to sneak.
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