Pak violates truce for fourth time in four days
In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired at Indian posts in the Kerni sub-sector of Poonch district on Friday night. This is the fourth ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in less than five days in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Pakistan troops resorted to small arms firing on Ring forward defence post in Kerni sub-sector along the LoC on Friday night, a senior Army official of 16 corps said here on Saturday.
Indian troops guarding the border retaliated resulting in exchanges for over one-and-a-half hour. There was no casualty or damage to the posts in the firing, he said, adding that the firing was aimed at giving a cover to militants to infiltrate Indian territory.
This was a clear ceasefire violation and Indian authorities have lodged a protest with the counterparts in this regard today.
The Pakistan troops have resorted to heavy shelling of mortars and rockets in the Krishna Ghati and Jhallas sub-sectors of Poonch district on September 28 and twice on September 29 in which the Pakistan troops used heavy volume of mortar fire along with RPGs and machine guns, including nearly 80 mortar bombs and 40 rockets besides over 3,000 rounds of weaponery on Indian forward posts.
The Army troops have lodged a strong protest with its Pakistani counterparts over the ceasefire violation.
“A flag meeting was held at the commanding officers level at Chakan-Da-Bagh LoC crossing point in Poonch. Army officers lodged a strong protest with Pakistani authorities over the ceasefire violation and unprovoked heavy shelling and firing,” said an Army officer at 16 Corps Headquarters.
While the Indian side was represented by commanding officer V Natolay, the Pakistan side was represented by a Lt Col at the meeting on Friday.
Earlier, the Indian Army has lodged a strong protest with its Pakistani counterpart over ceasefire violation and shelling of forward posts along the LoC in the Poonch district.
Though the Pakistani Army denied its involvement in the firing and said militants had fired on Indian posts, Indian Army officials pointed out to them that ultras do not possess rockets and mortar shells, which are with the Pakistan Army.
There have been three ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in the Poonch sector since Tuesday night. The Pakistan troops had targeted posts along the LoC in KG sub-sector of Poonch by firing over 45 rockets and 40 mortar shells followed by firing from light and medium machine guns on Tuesday night.
