Pak army continues to target Indian posts along LoC in Uri

Pakistani Army continued to target Indian posts and border hamlets along the Line of Control (LoC) in Haji Pir sector of Uri in north Kashmir's Baramulla district on Saturday.

Reports said Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling near Rustum post in Uri  on Saturday morning which was strongly retaliated by Indian troops. The intermittent shelling was going on when reports last came in.  

Eyewitnesses told DH over phone that the shelling started early morning. "Though it was moderate in the beginning, as the time passed it grew intense and the mortar shells fired from across the border start landing in border villages," they said.  

On Friday around 500 people abandoned their homes in Uri villages as Indian and Pakistani armies continued  to exchange heavy fire in the area. An official of state government said the dislocation of such a huge number of people in one day is a major displacement in the past three decades.  

The displaced families demand protection of their lives. "The J&K government should build shelters for us. Either the authorities should create underground bunkers for all of us or rehabilitate us in the plains," they told reporters.

The Pakistani troops have been violating ceasefire in Uri sector since Monday as there has been heavy shelling from across the border. Uri was in the news after the September 18, 2016 fidayeen (suicide) attack on Army base that left 19 soldiers dead and triggered the latest tension between India and Pakistan.

Recently, Northern Command chief Lt Gen Devraj Anbu had stated that over 300 militants were waiting across LoC to infiltrate into the Indian territory. Sources said the infiltration attempt could rise in the coming days as weather has started clearing in some of the areas and so could ceasefire violations.

"Pakistani Army is giving cover fire to militants to infiltrate. However, Indian Army has devised its strategy accordingly and they are maintaining high alert along LoC and the IB to tackle the ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts," they said.