Pakistan lodges protest with India over LoC firing

Last week, three Pakistani civilians were martyred and 11 injured due to a similar incident of unprovoked firing and shelling by Indian forces across the Sialkot Working Boundary. The continued firing has led to panic among villagers in border areas, but there are no reports of migration so far.

Fareeda was caught in unprovoked Indian firing in Jandrot sector near the LoC on Sunday morning.

Earlier on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, twin ceasefire violations were reported from Rajouri and Poonch districts, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army. Troops on our side of Line of Control retaliated appropriately.

22 people were injured while 7,110 persons were temporarily affected and 50 houses were damaged, he said.

Pakistan violated ceasefire 192 times along the worldwide Border in Jammu and Kashmir till July 26 this year, government told Lok Sabha today, adding that measures have been put in place for “immediate and effective retaliation” to such provocations.

“Pakistan also condemned the latest unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian security forces at the LoC in Nakial sector near Kotli and Bhimber Gali sector on August 9, in which Pakistani posts were targeted”, said the statement. The Hamirpur, Krishnagati and Sabzian sectors in Poonch have been targeted by Pakistan troops, possibly to facilitate infiltration from across the border.

“The Pakistan Army used one hundred twenty mm. mortars and automatics to focus on our positions in Poonch sector of the LoC yesterday (Tuesday)”, defence ministry spokesman Col. Manish Mehta informed IANS. Apart from mortar shells and automatic weapons, Pakistani troops fired 120 mm mortars.