4 mortar shells defused
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 4: After a brief lull, Pakistan army today again resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Akhnoor sectors targeting forward defence posts and civilian installations.
Reports said Pakistan army started shelling and firing in Pallanwalla area of Akhnoor sector in Jammu district at 3 am today, which was immediately replied by the Indian side very strongly.
Exchange of shelling and firing continued till 6 am but there was no loss of life or damage on the Indian side.
At about 6 pm, Pakistani troops started shelling and firing at Shahpur, Kirni, Kasba, Malti and surrounding villages of Poonch sector. Pakistan today again used long range mortar shells and heavy fire arms to target civilian areas in Poonch sector but failed to inflict any damages as Indian side gave an effective retaliation.
Exchange of shelling and firing in some areas on the LoC continued till late tonight.
Situation has been very tense on the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri ever since the Indian air strike at Balakote deep inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Four civilians have been killed on the Indian side and nearly a dozen others were injured. However, number of casualties has been very high on Pakistan side where at least seven Pakistani troops were dead. Pakistan has also suffered heavy infrastructural losses.
Sources said there have been inputs that Pakistan army was trying to facilitate infiltration attempts by the armed militants from the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts under the cover of darkness.
In view of this, while giving strong response to Pakistan army’s mortar shelling and firing, the Indian soldiers were also keeping strict surveillance on the LoC to thwart infiltration attempts by the militants, sources said, adding that Pakistan was frustrated by ‘Operation Balakote’ of the Indian Air Force and was, therefore, trying to push the militants to carry out an attack on security forces.
Security forces have been maintaining very high alert all along the Line of Control and International Border to ensure that the militants don’t succeed in their infiltration plot.
Meanwhile, Army today destroyed four unexploded mortar shells at Chajla Patri in Mendhar sector of Poonch district.
The mortar shells had been fired by the Pakistan army a couple of days back in civilian areas but they hadn’t exploded.
A Bomb Disposal Squad of the Army today defused four unexploded mortar shells to avert civilian casualties or damages. The mortar shells were exploded harmlessly.
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