Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 18: Pakistan Army today again violated ceasefire on both Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) halting return of border villagers from the relief camps in some parts of Jammu sector but there were no casualties or damages on the Indian side in the firing. This was second ceasefire violation on the IB in past two days, which was otherwise witnessing complete calm for the past one week raising hopes of return of migrants.
Reports said that Pakistani Rangers first opening firing at forward area of Mangral in RS Pura sector at 5.45 am followed by AMK (Allah Mai De Kothe) in the same sector at 6.40 am. Prior to this, the Rangers fired few shots at Makwal in Niki Tawi area at 5.15 am.
The BSF retaliated. Reports said the exchange of firing last only few minutes and was confined to automatic and small arms firing as there was no mortar shelling from Pakistan side.
By 7 am today, the firing had stopped at all three places and since then no firing has been reported from any part of 198 kilometers long international boundary in Jammu sector from Kathua to Akhnoor.
Yesterday also, the Rangers had fired few shots late in the afternoon at Makwal near Niki Tawi but the BSF hadn’t responded.
Sources said the fresh ceasefire violations on the IB have halted return of the border migrants from relief camps to their houses. Some people had started returning to their houses on the borders after about a week’s peace on the International Border. However, following fresh ceasefire violations by the Rangers, return has been halted.
Now, as usual, the border migrants were visiting their houses in the morning and returning to the camps in the evening. However, some people in Arnia town have returned to their houses.
Meanwhile, on the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan Army started firing at 9.55 pm last night at four forward villages in Balakote sector of Poonch district. Troops retaliated. Exchange of firing continued for about an hour. After that no ceasefire violation was reported on the LoC till this evening, sources said.
They pointed out that the ceasefire violations were confined to firing with small arms and automatic weapons and there was no mortar shelling as used to be the case earlier. There were no casualties or damage on the Indian side in the firing either on LoC or IB, they said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel