Jammu, Feb 21:
The Pakistan army fired on forward posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Thursday, thereby violating the ceasefire for the third consecutive day, officials said. The Pakistan army resorted to mortar shelling and small arms firing on the forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector from 0100 hours, they said. Indian troops retaliated strongly, the officials added. There were five ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army during the past 24 hours along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts, they said. On Wednesday, the Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by resorting to heavy shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along the LoC in Kalal sector of Rajouri district. The Pakistan army had resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC in Nowshera sector of Rajouri on Tuesday as well. The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violations — 2,936 — by Pakistani troops in the last 15 years along the Indo-Pak border. Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire understanding of 2003 despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the agreement during flag meetings between the border guarding forces of the two countries, the officials said. Amid mounting tension between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack and increasing ceasefire violations, the people along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in this region are living under intense fear.
