LoC on fire in August with 39 ceasefire violations by Pak

Army sources see this trend as an attempt to widen the area of engagement on the border and pin down more Indian troops, reports RS Chauhan

With 39 ceasefire violations reported across the Line of Control in August alone, the Indian Army expects the de facto border with Pakistan to remain active in the coming months too, until the passes get blocked by snow in the winter. 

In a break from past pattern, nine ceasefire violations have been reported in the Kargil-Dras sector alone. In comparison, between November 2003 -- when the ceasefire came into effect -- and August 1, 2013, there were only half a dozen truce violations in the sector that witnessed a two-month long skirmish between the two Armies in the summer of 1999.

Army sources see this trend as an attempt to widen the area of engagement on the border and pin down more Indian troops. Pakistani forces have used heavy mortars besides small arms to fire at Indian posts across three distinct sectors -- Jammu (south of Pir Panjal range of mountains), Uri-Tangdhar in the Kashmir valley, and the Kargil Dras sector, east of the ZojilaPass. 

In 2013, there have been 84 violations from across the LoC, with almost half of them in August alone. In all of 2012 there were 117 violations, while the figure for 2011 was just 57.

Since the start of this year, Poonch has had 18 ceasefire violations spread across a swathe of 10 km, Krishna Ghatti, close to Mendhar, 20 incidents of cross-LoC firing spread across 10 km, Bhimber Galli has had 22 violations affecting 12 km of area. All the three sectors are in Jammu region.

The Uri-Tangdhar sector, which is north of the Pir-Panjal mountains, have seen firing along the LoC on 15 occasions over 12 km while Drass-Kargil have seen firing on nine occasions along four km.