SRINAGAR: India and Pakistan held a Brigade Commander-level flag meeting along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Friday, in an effort to de-escalate tension after several recent incidents of cross-border firing and an IED attack.
The flag meeting took place in the Chakkan-Da-Bagh crossing point area, with both sides highlighting the need to maintain peace along the border.
At the 75-minute-long meeting that started around 11 am, the Indian army delegation lodged a strong protest over recent instances of unprovoked cross-border firing, apart from infiltration attempts by terrorists and smuggling of narcotics and weapons.
The meeting took place in a congenial atmosphere and both sides agreed to honour the ceasefire agreement in the larger interest of peace along the border, sources said. “Pakistan army officials were warned of a befitting response in case of cross border firing,” sources said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the flag meeting, saying it’s a good thing as it aims to reduce tension without using force.
Ceasefire violations along the border of Jammu and Kashmir have been uncommon since February 2021 when the two countries decided to strictly adhere to the November 2003 border ceasefire agreement. On February 10, an IED blast along the LoC in Akhnoor triggered by militants killed an army captain and a jawan. Another soldier was injured in the explosion.
The extent of damage on the Pakistani side in the retaliatory action was not known immediately but officials had said the enemy forces also suffered “heavy casualties.”