Zee Media Bureau
Jammu: In yet another violation of ceasefire, the Pakistan Army on Friday opened unprovoked firing at Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir`s Poonch district.
The Pakistani troops fired 81-mm mortar shells and directed automatic and small-arms fire at Indian posts along the LoC in the Mendhar-Bhimber Gali-Keri forward areas of Poonch district at around 0730 hours today, said a senior Army officer.
No casualty or damage has been reported on this side of the LoC due to the firing, he said.
Indian troops guarding the border effectively replied with similar calibre weapons, he said, adding that the "exchanges occurred in three forward areas".
A news agency quoted a civil administration official as saying: "Ambulances and medical supplies have been rushed to the affected area to meet any emergency situation.”
Police sources said two buffaloes belonging to villagers living close to the LoC were killed in the firing.
In Islamabad, a Pakistani military official claimed that two civilians were injured in mortar shells fired from across the LoC.
"Indian Army resorted to unprovoked firing injuring two civilians," the official claimed.
"Pakistan troops responded to Indian firing effectively," he added.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on microblogging website Twitter, tweeted that some shells landed in civilian areas.
Significant ceasefire violation in Rajouri & Poonch with reports of some shells having landed in civilian areas. Some livestock loss.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) June 13, 2014
He further wondered if the ceasefire violation a day ahead of Defence Minister Arun Jaitley`s visit to the state is `just a coincidence`.
Is it just a coincidence that the Defence Minister is visiting J&K, for his 1st visit, to review the security situation tomorrow? #ceasefire
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) June 13, 2014
On Thursday, an Army soldier was killed and five others, including an officer, were injured in two improvised explosive device (IED) blasts on the LoC in Poonch district.
The injured officer has been identified only as Major Bhatia while the injured sepoy is Khushandar Singh of 7 Sikh regiment.
Earlier, one sepoy was killed and three others troopers including a lance naik and two sepoys were injured in another IED explosion in the same sector of the LoC in Poonch district that occurred at 8:30 am.
Between end of April and mid-May, 19 incidents of ceasefire violation were reported along the LoC here.
In 2013, 12 jawans were killed and 41 injured in 149 ceasefire violations and firing incidents by Pakistan troops on forward posts, civilian areas and patrolling parties along the Indo-Pak border.
(With Agency inputs)
