Pakistani troops violate ceasefire in three sectors in Poonch, Kathua

STATE TIMES NEWS

Jammu: Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling on forward posts and villages in three sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Kathua districts in violation of the ceasefire, officials said on Saturday.
Mortar shelling in the Mankote and Degwar sectors along the LoC in Poonch took place on Saturday, while the cross-border firing along the IB in the Hiranagar sector continued throughout the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, the officials said.
They said there was no report of any casualty or damage on the Indian side.
“At about 2:30 am, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling mortars along the LoC in the Mankote sector. Army retaliated befittingly,” a defence spokesperson said.
The officials said the firing and shelling between the two sides stopped around 4 am.
Later in the day, the spokesperson said the Pakistan army targeted the Degwar sector of Poonch at around 5.45 pm with small arms and mortars.
The Indian army retaliated effectively and the cross-border firing between the two sides was going on intermittently when last reports were received.
Pakistani Rangers also started the firing on border outposts in Karol Krishna, Satpal and Gurnam along the IB in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district around 10 pm on Friday, prompting strong retaliation by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel guarding the border, the officials said.
The exchange of fire between the two sides continued till 5:10 am, they said, adding the Pakistani firing caused panic among the residents of the border areas who were forced to spend the night in underground bunkers.