NEW DELHI: On a day when Pakistan accused Indian security forces of resorting to ‘unprovoked firing’ along the Line of Control, Indian Army warned Pakistan that the Indian Army would continue to retaliate to "provocative acts of aggression" from its neighbour.
Third time in a row, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) dialed his Indian counterpart to raise the issue of firing by Indian army.
Around 2pm on Monday after, Pakistani DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza spoke to Indian DGMO Lt Gen AK Bhatt over the hotline. On September 22, both military commanders spoke to each other.
While rejecting Pakistan’s allegations, Lt. General Bhatt warned that Pakistan Army's support to terrorism is unacceptable and India will continue to take all retaliatory measures to respond to such acts.
So far, this year, Pakistani side has violated ceasefire agreement on 559 times.
Instead, Lt Gen Bhatt accused Pakistan of employing civilians at the forward posts and using them to gain information of the Indian side's locations, and to provide "guides to the terrorists" crossing the LoC.
Lt Gen AK Bhatt emphatically stated that retaliatory firing by Indian troops has only been carried out in response to unabated support given by Pak Army to armed terrorists who infiltrate across the border and target Indian Army posts with heavy calibre weapons.” It is in response to such actions that Indian Army troops retaliate,” Indian army said in a statement.
Lt. Gen Bhat also told his Pakistani counterpart that while the Indian Army will continue its efforts to ensure peace and tranquillity on the borders, the support provided to the terrorists by the Pakistan Army was the prime reason for any "collateral damage".
"He reiterated that this support to terrorism by the Pakistan Army is unacceptable and the Indian Army will continue to take all retaliatory measures as well as retain the right to punitively respond to such provocative acts of aggression from the Pakistani side in future too," the Army said.
Earlier this year, too, Bhatt had warned his Pakistani counterpart that the Indian Army "reserved the right to appropriately" hit back at all ceasefire violations.