Pakistan targets schools, houses in ceasefire violation in J&K's Poonch, Rajauri districts

Poonch/Rajouri: Refusing to deter from its nefarious antics to disrupt normalcy in the Valley, Pakistani Army violated ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts on Saturday morning. Pakistan resorted to unprovoked heavy firing in Mandher and Balakot sectors of Poonch district and Bhimbher Gali and Manjakot sectors of Rajauri.

Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) since 10 am on Saturday, targetting residential areas and schools in the two districts. The Indian Army is giving a befitting reply to counter Pakistan's nefarious actions.

Earlier on Saturday, troops of the Pakistani Army reached the Hazipur sector in Jammu and Kashmir and retrieved the bodies of two of its soldiers who were killed by the Indian Army in retaliation to unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan on September 11, after showing a white flag, a symbol denoting truce or surrender.

On September 8, Pakistan violated ceasefire in Nowshera and Sunderbani areas of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir while resorting to the firing of arms and mortar shelling along the LoC. This was the fifth ceasefire violation attempt by Pakistani troops in the span of 24 hours from September 7-8.

On September 2, Pakistan again violated ceasefire in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir in which an Army jawan was martyred defending the nation against nefarious attempts by Pakistan to disrupt peace in the Valley. The soldier was identified as 23-year-old Grenadier Hemraj Jat, a resident of Bhadoon village in Roopangarh tehsil of Rajasthan's Alwar. He was inducted in the Army on March 2017. He is survived by his mother.

Pakistan has made it a habit to repeatedly violate ceasefire all along the LoC, often in a bid to push in terrorists. Indian intelligence reports have said recently that several terror launch pads have been kept at the ready in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir with Islamabad increasingly getting desperate to disrupt the peace and calm in the aftermath of Indian government's decision to revoke Article 370.