Two soldiers injured in ceasefire violation along LoC

Two army soldiers were injured on Friday as Pakistani troops continued to violate the 2003-ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Reports said Pakistani Army continued night-long mortar shelling on Indian forward posts in Pallanwala, Sunderbani and Nowshera sectors of Rajouri district, injuring two soldiers.

A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops started firing on Indian positions along the LoC from Thursday night. “Our troops immediately retaliated to silence the Pakistani guns. The exchange of fire continued intermittently throughout the night,” he said.

Eyewitnesses told Deccan Herald over the phone that Pakistani shelling has created a fresh wave of panic among border residents. “Sound of heavy shelling was heard in more than five-kilometre area along the LoC sending a wave of fear and panic among the villagers,” they said.

“The terrified villagers rushed from their houses and took shelter in safer areas including bunkers. Shelling from the Pakistani side was so heavy that mortar shells have fallen inside the villages,” they added.

People living in critical zones along the LoC have been asked by authorities not to venture out of their houses, reports said.

Border skirmishes witnessed a spurt after India's pre-emptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26, following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

On Thursday, an army soldier was killed when Pakistan army resorted to shelling with mortar bombs and firing of small arms along the LoC in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri. Earlier on Monday night, another soldier was killed and four others were injured in a similar incident in Akhnoor and Sunderbani sectors.

2018 witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border. Indian Army has been maintaining a very high alert all along the LoC following inputs that under the cover of ceasefire violations, Pakistani troops were trying to facilitate infiltration attempts by militants.