Pakistan violates LoC ceasefire again; 195th this year

Pakistani troops on Friday resorted to mortar shelling and firing on the Line of Control in Jammu district, the second ceasefire violation in two days ahead of a crucial meeting of the Directors General of Military Operations of the two sides aimed at easing tensions along the ceasefire line.

There was a firing of mortars shells and firing small arms and automatic weapons from across the border on forward Indian posts in Jourian sub-sector of Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu around 1419 hours, Defence Spokesman S N Acharya said.

The firing and shelling was targeted towards Gigriyal forward belt.

Army troops guarding the border belt gave a calibrated response by resorting to retaliatory firing, he said, adding that firing exchanges continued for for ten minutes.

There was no loss of life or injury to any one in the firing on this side of the border, Acharya said.

It was second incident of ceasefire violation in two days along Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir.

Border Security Force officer Sub Inspector Jitender Singh suffered injuries in Pakistani firing along International Border in Manyari forward area in Kathua district around 1.05 pm on Thursday.

There was no incident of ceasefire violations since the flag meeting between Pak Rangers and BSF authorities on October 29 after intensified firing and heavy shelling for over a month in which a BSF jawan was killed and 30 others, including 17 civilians, were injured.

The firing and shelling incidents have taken place ahead of the December 24 meeting of the DGMOs of the two nations to discuss ways to prevent ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan has committed ceasefire violations 195 times along the Line of Control so far this year, more than twice than in last year, Defence Minister A K Antony had told Lok Sabha on December 17.

He had said that one army man died and 15 were injured in Pakistani firing this year.

The numbers of ceasefire violations by the Pakistani side in 2012, 2011, 2010 were 93, 51 and 44 respectively, he had said.