Shelling unabated along LoC

At a time when Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was on a one-day visit to take stock of the security situation in the state, Pakistani troops pounded several Indian forward posts with mortar shells along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

A defence spokesman said that Pakistani troops attack was directed at the Hamirpur and Bhimber Gali sub-sectors of Poonch district. “Pak troops resorted to firing and shelling from 10:35 am to 11:15 am which was retaliated by our troops guarding the border,” he said. No casualty was reported from the Indian side of the LoC during fire exchange.

The Pakistani troops had previously fired at Indian positions in the Nowgam sector in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday evening, injuring an Army porter. Sources said the troops fired at Indian positions for over an hour, calling for counteractive measure from Indian troops.

Reports also said the Pakistani Rangers had also fired at two Indian forward posts along the International Border (IB) in the R S Pura sub-sector of Jammu district late on Monday, forcing Border Security Force (BSF) troops to retaliate.

“The rangers fired mortars, rockets and bullets from medium to small firearms, targeting forward villages and BSF posts. Around 9:40 pm on Monday, the Rangers opened fire at Abdullian post in the R S Pura sector and Nikowal in Arnia. The firing stopped after half an hour,” they said. No casualties have been reported.

Eyewitnesses told Deccan Herald that panic-stricken people along border villages remained confined indoors even during the day. 

“Heavy shelling and firing by the rangers has triggered panic among the border residents, especially after the targeting of civilian areas and landing of shells in populated places along the IB,” they said.

Authorities have advised those in attack-prone areas to keep their lights off during the night. The government has also ordered the closure of government institutions in the border areas temporarily to avoid any casualties.