Sri Lankan players currently touring Pakistan for a three-match ODI series want to return home due to security concerns following a deadly suicide attack in Islamabad but PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi claimed that the rubber will continue, albeit with a rejigged schedule.
Pakistani troops on Thursday resorted to firing on a post in Swajian sector of Poonch district without causing any damage to the Indian side, official sources said in Jammu. Pakistani Rangers deployed at Kanari fired across the Line of Control on an Indian outpost in Swajian sector in the early hours, sources said, adding Border Security Force troops deployed in the area maintained restraint.
Several households along the IB sustained damages in the overnight mortar-shelling from across the border, local residents said.
The locals in Gharna village in Jammu and Kashmir's RS Pura sector are petrified following yet another ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops.
Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Friday wrote to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, protesting the killing of soldiers in BSF firing and seeking an immediate probe into the incident.
Such violations have not been very common since India and Pakistan agreed for a renewed ceasefire along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir on February 20, 2021.
Constable Bijender Bahadur was on duty at forward point along the fence in Arnia sector along the IB when Pakistani Rangers resorted to mortar shelling and small arms fire at about 0020 hours on Friday.
The BSF troops retaliated, resulting in exchange of fire, which was still going on when last reports came in.
A senior Border Security Force official said that Pakistan Rangers had resorted to heavy firing using small arms and few mortar shells in the in the Kanachak and Pargwal sectors.
Hours before United States President Barack Obama's arrival in India, Pakistani Rangers resorted to small arms firing along the International Border in Jammu district, forcing the Border Security Force to retaliate.
No casualties were reported on the Indian side even as the BSF has decided to lodge a "protest" with their Pakistani counterparts and have sought a flag meeting on Saturday.
In continued ceasefire violations, Pakistani troops resorted to night-long firing and mortar shelling targeting six Border Out Posts along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu district, forcing the Border Security Force to retaliate effectively.
The Border Security Force (BSF) destroyed five Pakistani posts and a terrorist launch pad across the Jammu border in an operation, an officer said. The BSF retaliated after Pakistan targeted civilian areas and Indian establishments in a systematic manner, the officer said.
The intruder, who is in his early 20s, was taken into custody by Army troops soon after he entered into this side from across the LoC.
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.
Pakistani troops have been firing at Indian posts in the Arnia and RS Pura sectors along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir in what is the third ceasefire violation in the last 24 hours.
"Assistant Sub Inspector of BSF A K Upadhayay was injured when a shell exploded near him in RS Pura sector. He received splinter injures in his hand", a BSF spokesman said.
There have been more than 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
IAF Flying Officer Jawahar Lal Bhargava was forced to stayed in the POW camp at Rawalpindi for the year that followed only to be released in December 1972.
Pakistan rangers on Sunday opened fire on Indian border posts after objecting to construction by Border Security Force on the Indian side in Samba sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
The sector commanders of the BSF and Pakistan Rangers held a flag meeting, after a gap of about seven months
The Army further made it clear that the continuation of a break in hostilities, as decided in the DGMOs interaction of May 12, has no expiry date to it.
On February 24, India and Pakistan released a joint statement saying that they have held discussions regarding establishing a mechanism for hotline contact among both nations.
In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani Rangers on Thursday resorted to unprovoked firing on forward Indian posts along the Indo-Pakistan border in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Constable Tapan Mondal of BSF succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack.
Pakistani troops continued breaching the ceasefire along the LoC for the fourth successive day on Saturday by resorting to unprovoked firing and shelling, while two persons have been injured and several houses damaged in Jammu region overnight due to the violation.
Pakistani rangers violated ceasefire on Thursday again by firing on 13 border outposts in Samba sector, drawing retaliation from the Border Security Force.
Unprovoked firing by Pakistan Rangers has marred dozens of weddings in villages along the International Border in Jammu with many forced to make last-minute changes to some rituals as well.
GK Bansal, additional director general of the BSF, was quoted by a private television channel, as saying that Pakistani Rangers were building embankments, bunkers and observation towers and said that this was too close for comfort, as they were just 10 to 15 meters from the international border.
Meanwhile, a precautionary blackout has been enforfced in the multiple areas amid the esclating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that 300 to 400 drones were deployed across 36 locations, with several being shot down by Indian forces using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods.
This was the first time that sweets were exchanged between the two forces after the abrogation of Article 370 as the Pakistani side refused to continue with the custom, they said, adding after the developments of August 2019, the offer of exchanging sweets was made by the BSF but the Pakistani side did not reciprocate.
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In major escalation in border skirmishes, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire for the third time in 21 hours along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, forcing Army to retaliate.
Stepping up ceasefire violations, Pakistani Rangers on Friday night resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing on 8 BSF posts along the Indo-Pak border in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, forcing a strong retaliation from the Indian side.
Pakistani Rangers on Wednesday indulged in mortar shelling along the border in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, drawing retaliation from the Border Security Force.
In a major ceasefire violation, Pakistani Rangers on Wednesday opened heavy fire at Indian border outposts along the international border in Jammu district, killing a Border Security Force personnel and leaving three other troopers injured.
Raj Kumar Thapa, additional district development commissioner, Rajouri, and his two staff members were seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence in Rajouri town, the officials said.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has scaled down the retreat ceremony held at Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadki along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The BSF's Punjab frontier said it was suspending the symbolic handshake of the Indian guard commander with the counterpart and the border gates will remain closed during the ceremony. The move is seen as a response to the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said on Friday that the ceasefire with India was holding and the country is committed to it. He also said that Pakistan is committed to making the ceasefire hold and de-escalation succeed, and then engagement to lead to stability and resolution of issues. Khan said that the two militaries have a channel of communication through the Directors General of Military Operations, through which they are working for de-escalation, in terms of the movement of troops. He added that Pakistan remains committed to the ceasefire announced on May 10 and lately, both sides have taken steps for de-escalation and return of stability.
The Pakistani Rangers would also soon shun the aggressive posturing during the daily sunset parade.
