After 14 years, Pak troops violate ceasefire in Kargil area

New Delhi: For the first time in 14 years since the 1999 Kargil war, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in the higher reaches of Ladakh with its troops opening fire with small and automatic weapons on Indian posts in Drass and Kaksar areas of Kargil sector. The ceasefire was breached twice within a span of four days since Monday night, official sources said on Friday.

The sources said that Pakistani troops fired with automatic weapons at Sando Post in Drass area in the second violation in the Kargil sector last night which was retaliated by the Indian troops. The two ceasefire violations in Kargil sector came after similar breach in Kashmir and Jammu divisions over the last few days that has led to tension on the border. Tensions had escalated between India and Pakistan and the two sides were in eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation mode when Pakistani troops intruded into Kargil in 1999 leading to hostilities between the two countries. According to the sources, there was a ceasefire violation in Kaksar which falls between Drass and Kargil as Pakistani troops fired initially with small weapons and later with automatic weapons at Chenigund post on Monday night. This area has a dominance of Pakistani troops who are perched atop the heights and can target the national highway connecting Ladakh with Kashmir. The Chenigund post was the same post from where young Lieutenant Saurabh Kalia along with his men went missing in April 1999 and later their mutilated bodies with clear signs of torture were handed over to the Indian Army. Pakistani troops have in recent days repeatedly violated ceasefire in Kashmir`s Uri and Keran sectors and Poonch and R S Pura of Jammu region. PTI