Pak Army shells forward posts along LoC in Poonch, IB in Kathua
Jammu: The Pakistan Army on Monday resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling targeting forward posts along the LoC in Poonch district, drawing retaliation from Indian troops, officials said.
“At about 1510 hours (3.10 pm) today (Monday), Pak army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms & intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Shahpur sector in district Poonch,” a defence spokesperson said.
The Line of Control (LoC) has witnessed heavy and intense firing and shelling in the last few months resulting in several casualties and triggering fear psychosis among the people living along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir.
Two Indian Army soldiers — Naik Prem Bahadur Khatri and Rifleman Sukhbir Singh — were killed when the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy firing along the LoC in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district last week.
On November 26, JCO Subedar Swatantra Singh was killed and a civilian was critically injured in Pakistan shelling along LoC in Kirni and Qasba sectors of Poonch district.
Havaldar Patil Sangram Shivaji was killed on November 21 in Pakistani shelling in Laam sector along LoC in Rajouri district while 11 people, including five security personnel were killed after multiple ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC in north Kashmir on November 13.
Pakistani Rangers also opened fire at border outposts along the International Border in Kathua district, officials said.
The firing from the Pakistani side in Pansar, Karol Krishna and Gurnam border outposts started around 9:40 pm on Sunday, drawing effective retaliation from the Border Security Force (BSF) guarding the IB, the officials said.
The cross-border firing between the two sides continued till 3:10 am, forcing border residents to spend the night in underground bunkers.
No casualty has been reported on the Indian side.
