A lesser-known militant outfit 'Shohada Brigade' on Thursday claimed responsibility for the twin attacks in Jammu region which left eight persons, including a Lt Colonel of the army, dead.
Heavy security arrangements have been put in place, ahead of the twin public rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be held on Saturday in Kathua and Rajouri districts.
The latest shelling from across the border started in the Qasba and Kirni sectors along the LoC in Poonch district at 1.40 pm, prompting a befitting retaliation by the Indian Army, a defence spokesperson said.
'We are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea'
Soon after the incident, a senior BSF official said that an alert was issued and a search operation was conducted near Dera Baba Nanak (DBN) check post.
With this, the number of ceasefire violations along the IB and the LoC in the state after surgical strikes by the Indian Army in PoK has risen to 31.
BSF constable Nitin Subhash Koli sustained grievous injuries on Friday evening when an explosion inside the chamber of the long range weapon led to a recoil while he was firing.
'I am aware that mention of a threat to Gulmarg emanating from my perception may send negative signals to tourists but there are realities which need to be taken stock of.' 'Gulmarg is not far from Srinagar and is what the army calls in its parlance "a big name place." Such places draw attention much faster when negative incidents take place and give value of eyeball attraction.'
The terrorists holed up in the Kashmir valley have been facing acute shortage of arms and ammunition and they are desperately looking for some help from across the border for the same.
After a day-long lull, Pakistani rangers violated ceasefire again by targeting border posts in Kathua and Samba sectors, drawing retaliation from the Border Security Force.
The blast occurred when security forces were combing some parts of Bani forest area in Kathua district.
In daring twin attacks, suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants in combat uniform struck terror on the outskirts of Jammu in Kathua district and killed a civilian and a soldier guarding an army camp gate, leaving three others injured. "The gunfight ended on Friday evening after the three terrorists were killed. It was a joint operation of the army and police," the spokesman said.
An army jawan was injured on Tuesday as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in the Pallanwala sector of Jammu district, drawing retaliation from Indian forces. This is the fifth ceasefire violation in the past one week.
Here is a timeline of the major attacks that have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir since 1999 till date
"Border Security Force detects a tunnel along the international border in Hiranagar sector of Kathua. "More details awaited," officials said.
Pakistani Rangers violated the ceasefire by resorting to firing by small arms on Indian posts along the international border in Jammu district, prompting the Border Security Force to retaliate.
Following the recent detection and killings of two Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bombers, who infiltrated the country from Pakistan, the Border Security Force has launched a massive drive to detect cross-border tunnels along the International Border in the Jammu sector.
Army Vice Chief Sarath Chand said that India will continue to give a "befitting reply"
"I have written to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, conveying my greetings on the National Day of Pakistan," Modi tweeted.
This move by the BSF is in protest to the growing incidents of ceasefire violations across the Line of Control and the International Border.
However, Madan Lal Choudhary's 20-year-old daughter Neha received a bullet injury in the leg while his sister-in-law Paramjeet also received minor injuries.
After a brief lull, Pakistan on Saturday again violated the ceasefire by firing on forward posts along the Line of Control in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, drawing retaliation from India.
Shelling and firing by Pakistani troops was "very heavy" in 2018, virtually making the 2003 India-Pakistan border truce "redundant", said officials.
As per reports, Pakistan has fired 3000-4000 mortar shells targeting Indian villages and border towns in which 12 people have been killed.
A top police official said that Pakistan is trying to infiltrate terrorists along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir even during the winters when most of the passes and mountainous areas along the border are covered in heavy snow.
Kher reportedly had earlier said that all the issues in the valley will be resolved if Article 370, which provides special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir is abolished.
Pakistani troops targeted over 60 hamlets and scores of border posts in heavy overnight shelling in Kathua and Samba districts, with mortar bombs landing deep inside Indian territory.
Asking them to learn lessons from past incidents, former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the Border Security Force should try to plug holes in the border as militants were "repeatedly" using routes like nullahs or riverine areas to carry out attacks.
This is third day of shelling and firing by Pakistan troops along the International Border in Jammu frontier and comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
The first batch of Amarnath yatris from outside the state was welcomed on Wednesday by the police and civil administration amid tight security arrangements at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir.
He asserted his force was as competent as the CBI to probe the Kathua rape and murder case.
This is the first time that suicide attackers have adopted this tactic.
Security agencies have alerted the Delhi Police about possibility of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad carrying out a fidayeen attack in the city, similar to the one carried out at an army camp in Samba in Jammu and Kashmir.
Senior government sources said the charge of carrying out a Pulwama scale terror attack bigger was given to the Jaish-e-Mohammed headed by Maulana Masood Azhar by Pakistan Army's Inter-Services Intelligence.
Defence Minister A K Antony condemned the "dastardly attack" by terrorists on security posts in Jammu region on Thursday and said the forces will not leave any stone unturned to deal with the terrorists with a firm hand.
After a brief lull, Pakistan on Saturday violated ceasefire twice along International Border and Line of Control in Poonch and Jammu district, drawing strong retaliation from India.
Constable Devender Singh was hit by a stray bullet through the loophole of his picket and could not survive the injury.
Over one lakh people have migrated from their hamlets and border towns in the wake of firing by Pakistan.
In Jammu region, three districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua are in red zone.
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