Pak violates ceasefire in Uri sector, civilian injured

Despite threat of air strikes reducing, Indo-Pak armies continued to target each other along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir with heavy firearms on Friday.

In the latest skirmishes, a civilian was injured in Uri sector of north Kashmir’ Baramulla district due to overnight Pakistani shelling, reports said. Two residential houses were also damaged in the heavy shelling by the Pakistan Army all along the Kamalkote sub-sector and at four other places in Uri sector since Thursday evening.

It has been virtually a war-like situation along the LoC in the state especially in Uri and Tanghdar sectors in Kashmir and Mendhar, Mankote, Balakote, Khari Karmara and Degwar, Nowshera and Sunderbani sectors of Jammu region. Mortar shells fired by Pakistan troops have landed deep inside the civilian areas, spreading panic and fear among the people, who have confined themselves to houses or bunkers, reports said.

Such was the intensity of Pakistan’s shelling that a number of mortar shells landed in civilian areas triggering panic. Reports said more than 70 villages and forward posts were targeted in Pakistan army’s shelling and firing in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu since Thursday evening. Pounding of the civilian areas by the Pakistan army continued throughout the night and in some areas, it was going on.

On Thursday, Northern Command chief, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh visited some of the forward areas on the LoC in Rajouri district and reviewed operational preparedness of the troops to meet with any eventuality from the Pakistan side.

During the visit, Lt Gen Singh was briefed by the Commanders on the ground about the operational situation, prevailing security scenario and preparedness of the army formations, officials said.

Since the India Air Force (AIF) made ingress into the Pakistan province to “avenge” the killing of over 40 paramilitary personnel in Pulwama terror attack, the Pakistani army has repeatedly targeted Indian border outposts and civilian areas along the LoC across the state. India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the International Border and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

Over the last two years, Pakistan continues to violate the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the pact during flag meetings between the two sides. In 2018 Pakistan violated ceasefire nearly 3,000 times - the highest by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border.