Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): Pakistan resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation (CFV) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Mankote sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, defence officials said today.
Officials said that at around 10.30am, Pakistan’s rangers fired mortars and small arms along the LoC in Mankote area. “Our troops are giving a befitting reply,” a defence official said.
Locals of Mankote, a village close to the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu said that initially a few sounds of loud bangs were heard but within no time, entire area started witnessing big bangs as there was heavy exchange of mortars between Indian and Pakistani armies. “We were out with the livestock and some of us were busy in the fields. We ran for safety after hearing intense exchange of fire,” said Ravi Kumar, a resident of Mankote.
However, there are no reports of any casualties so far. The defence sources said that th exchange of fire between the two sides was on when this report was being filed.
As per the official records, since January this year, over 1,730 ceasefire violations have taken place in J&K, majority of them in Poonch, Rajouri, RS Pura, Keran and Uri sectors of the union territory.
An army official said that it is the Pakistan army that violates the 2003 CF pact every time. “We are always giving them a befitting response. There have been casualties on both sides,” he said, adding that “This year so far, there is a surge in CFV from across the LoC.”
Pertinently, after a long gap of over three decades, the government of J&K has once again started construction of community bunkers. NVI was the first to break the story about construction of community bunkers in Uri, Tangdhar and Gurez sectors of north Kashmir’s Kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla district. The construction of almost 140 bunkers was started after massive protests were held by the locals living close to the LoC and their threats of migrating from the villages.
-CHK
