Pak violates ceasefire in Poonch
DM says reduction in violations
Jammu Tawi, January 1 : Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire this morning along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir but there was no casualty.
“There was firing by troops from across from 0900 hours along LoC in Poonch sector today,” an officer said.
The Indian troops retaliated and there was a brief exchange of firing, he said, adding there was no causality. The firing took place in Shahpur sector of Poonch.
On December 30, a civilian was killed as Pakistan army indulged in heavy cross-border firing targeting Indian positions and civilian areas along the Line of Control (LOC) in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting the Indian side to give a befitting reply.
On December 16, Pakistan army had targeted Indian positions along the LoC in the Balakote sector of the same district.
However, Defence Ministry while releasing its year-end review today said that there has been a significant reduction in Ceasefire violations (CFVs) post the DGMO level talks which took place on November 23.
The Ministry said that earlier to that there was a rise in the CFVs wherein several incidents of calibre escalation to artillery/120 mm mortar were attempted by Pakistan. Besides, the Ministry also said that Indian Army carried out surgical strike on September 29 after getting an input that some terrorists were positioned at launch pads along the Line of Control (LoC) to carry out infiltration to conduct terrorist strikes in J&K and other metros and cities in the country.
The 2003 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement has virtually become redundant with a whopping over 300 incidents of firing and shelling along LoC and IB in J&K by Pakistani troops that resulted in death of 27 people, including 14 security personnel, since the surgical strike on terrorist launch pads in PoK on September 28-29.
