Three jawans, civilian injured in unprovoked Pak firing along LoC
JAMMU: Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing amid rocket and mortar shell attacks on LoC posts injuring three Army jawans and a civilian in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
This is the 11th ceasefire violation in past five days, Army officials said on Thursday.
Pakistani troops opened fire along LoC on several Indian forward posts in Balakote belt of Poonch district from 0630 hours, the officials said.
They fired automatic weapons, rockets and mortar shells in which three jawans received minor injury. They have shifted to hospital.
A shell of 82-mm mortar fired by Pakistan troops fell in Sanjote forward area of Mendhar tehsil resulting in injury to Parvaiz, a civilian, who was shifted to GMC hospital in Jammu.
A rocket fired by Pakistani troops fell and exploded on a cowshed in Basonia village of Mendhar on Thursday afternoon resulting in death of a dozen cattle.
Defence spokesman, Jammu, S N Acharya said in a official release that Pakistan army started unprovoked firing at Indian forward posts in Mendhar sector from 06:30am.
"Own troops retaliated immediately with heavy calibre weapons," he said, adding that the firing was on till late in the afternoon.
There were two ceasefire violations on August 13, when Pak troops targeted Narianpur border outpost along the international border in Samba district and 16 Indian forward posts in Hamirpur, Balakote and Mankote forward areas in Poonch through the night.
Before that, three ceasefire violations had taken place on August 12 when Pakistani troops fired on border outposts and Indian posts along Indo-Pak border in Durga battalion (Poonch), Kothay (Samba) and Hamirpur-Balakote forward areas. In the early hours of the same day, at around 1.40am, Pakistani troops opened heavy fire using mortars, rockets and small arms on 11 Indian forward posts along the LoC in Digwar, Mankote and Durga Battalion areas.
It continued till 7.30am next day, triggering heavy exchanges in Poonch.
There were three incidents of ceasefire violation on August 11 also.
Pak troops, at around 8.30am, 11.30am and 9.50pm, had fired on Alfa Machial border outpost in Jammu, Balakote-Mendhar in Poonch and Durga Battalion in Poonch district respectively.
One Jawan had received bullet injuries in Pak firing at Alfa Machial border outpost, and was referred to AIIMS, Delhi for treatment.
In a similar manner, a BSF head constable Ram Niwas Meena of 200th Battalion was injured in sniper firing on Narainpur border outpost area in Samba district along the international border on August 5.
Meena, who suffered bullet injury in chest, died at AIIMS, New Delhi on August 11.
On August 10, in a major ceasefire violation three days after killing of five Indian jawans in Border Action Team attack, Pakistani troops targeted several Indian posts and fired 7,000 rounds of heavy Pika ammunition and mortar shells during seven hours of firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.
Pakistan troops, in BAT attack on Indian Patrol near Sarla Post along LoC in Poonch district and killed 5 jawans and injured another.
There has also been 57 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops this year from January 1 to August 5, which is 80% more than the last year during the same corresponding period.
Three jawans, civilian injured in unprovoked Pak firing along LoC - The Times of India