SRINAGAR: An army man was killed in Pakistani troops' unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir while army claimed to have caused heavy damage to Pakistani army posts on Tuesday.
An army official said Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire and fired on army positions and civilian areas along LoC in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.
He said Pakistani troops fired from automatic weapons and resorted to shelling by 82 mm mortars.
“The army men effectively returned the fire and targeted the Pakistan army posts,” the official said.
He said a soldier was killed in the Pakistani army firing.
“The exchange of firing and shelling was going on when last reports poured in,” the official said.
He said heavy damage was caused to the Pakistan army posts. “We have countered Pakistan army’s firing with a heavy volume of fire”.
Defense spokesman in Jammu Lt Col Manish Mehta told Express that Pakistani troops also breached border ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district and fired from automatic weapons on army posts at 1.45 pm.
“The Pakistani troops also fired 120 mm mortar shells. Our troops responded by giving a befitting reply,” he said.
On November 6, two army men were killed and three others injured in Pakistani troops firing along the LoC in Krishna Ghati and Poonch sectors of Poonch district to facilitate two infiltration bids by militants. Both the bids were foiled by the troops.
There has been a surge in ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and International Border (IB) in J&K following army’s surgical strikes on militant launch pads across LoC on the intervening night of September 28/29.
On November 1, eight civilians including four women were killed in heavy firing and shelling by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in Jammu province.
After the November 1 civilian casualties in Pakistani troops firing, authorities closed over 400 schools in the border areas and evacuated people in vulnerable areas to safer places.