Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 11: For second consecutive day today, Pakistan Army violated ceasefire and opened firing on forward Indian positions in Balakote and Mendhar sectors of Poonch district. The firing took place during the day time amidst adverse weather conditions.
Official sources said Pakistan Army started firing at 11.45 am in six forward Indian posts at Balakote sector from their Cheel, Goga, Dabsi Centre, Kakkal-3 and New Defence posts. Army troops retaliated.
Initially, the firing was of heavy caliber weapons but after half an hour its intensity came down with Pakistan Army using small and automatic firearms.
“Retaliation by the Indian side was effective,” sources said.
Simultaneously, Pakistan Army also opened firing in Tarkundi and Mankote sectors in Balakote and Mendhar. The firing continued till 1.40 pm at all the places. After that no exchange of firing was reported from any place in Poonch district.
“There were no casualties or damage on Indian side in the Pakistan firing. Also no movement of infiltrators was observed under the garb of Pakistan firing today like the one witnessed between Dadot and Tarkundi forests of Balakote on the intervening night of September 9 and 10,” sources said.
Army had, however, foiled infiltration attempt by the militants. The intruders had retreated to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) after finding the troops alert on the Indian side, who retaliated promptly to the Pakistan firing forcing the infiltrating militants to flee.
There have been over 90 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops so far this year and over 55 since August 6 morning when five Indian Army jawans were killed by the Pakistani troops in Sarla battalion area at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district.
A total of six Army and BSF jawans have been killed and 13 civilians injured in ceasefire violations and firing by Pakistani troops in forward posts and civilian areas and on patrol parties along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in over a month.
On September 9, Pakistani troops had fired with small arms at Gambhir and Mendhar sub-sectors along the LoC in Poonch district.
Pakistani troops, which violated ceasefire along the LoC in two forward areas of Gigrial and Laukikan in Pallanwalla sectors of Akhnoor tehsil a day before had targeted Indian posts with small arms and medium machine guns.
There was sniper firing from across the border on a BSF observation post at Maljodha in Pargwal area of Akhnoor along International Border on Sunday in which a BSF jawan had narrowly escaped.
Sources said Army and BSF were maintaining a high alert along the LoC and IB following reports that Pakistan Army and Rangers could try to facilitate infiltration attempts by the militants under the cover of firing.
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