Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): The Pakistani army yet again resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in Balakote sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, by firing mortars and small arms, officials said today.
They said at around 9:30 am, Pakistani rangers fired mortars and small arms in a bid to target forward posts of Indian army at Shahpur, Kirni, and Degwar sectors in Poonch. “The own troops gave a befitting reply,” a defence official said, adding that “there was no report of any loss to life or property.”
Locals living close to Shapur and Kirni sectors in Poonch district said panic gripped the area and people locked themselves and their livestock to stay safe,” a group of residents said.
Defence sources also said that Pakistan started intense shelling post abrogation of Article 370 last year and continues to resort to frequent unprovoked ceasefire violations in both the regions of Kashmir and Jammu since last year post August 5.
“The Indian army has been giving a befitting reply to Pakistan every time it violates ceasefire. Our troops are alert across LoC and are keeping a watch on every attempt made by the neighbour be that ceasefire violation or an infiltration bid,” they said.
As per official records, since January this year, over 1800 ceasefire violations have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir, majority of them in Poonch, Rajouri, RS Pura, Keran, Tangdhar, Machil and Uri sectors of the J&K UT.
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 in the J&K Union Territory has once again started construction of community bunkers in villages close to LoC in J&K.
However, 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 is in a full swing in areas close to LoC.
-RJV
