A self-styled divisional commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen was killed along with his bodyguard as security forces foiled an infiltration attempt and a conspiracy by the proscribed outfit to revive its activities in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district early on Monday, officials said.
The militant was operating in Pir Panjal range for past more than five years and carried an education department's identity card on the name of Parvez Ahmed, son of Mohammad Arif resident of Tope in Mendhar. The I-Card had on it the stamp and signatures of zonal education officer (ZEO), Mankot, Mendhar.
Violating the ceasefire for the 14th time in the past 12 days, Pakistani troops on Friday targeted two border out posts along the International Border in Jammu sector drawing retaliation from Indian troops.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed anguish over the loss of lives and stressed the need for peace "if we want to save the people of the state".
Local commanders of Pakistan also told Indian counterpart that no ceasefire violation was committed by their side.
In a major ceasefire violation along the Line of Control, Pakistan Army on Saturday targeted 22 Border Security Force posts near the international border in R S Pura sector and Arania sub sector, killing two civilians and injuring four.
The JCO was injured in the firing at around 1.30 pm and was taken to a military hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries, they said. The civilian, Mohmmad Rashid has been shifted to GMC hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment, the officials said.
His elder brother Om Prakash Chettri, who recently retired from the Army, said Siddhant was passionate only about serving the nation.
There has been a spurt in Pakistani shelling along the border in Jammu and Kashmir this year with over 2,027 cases of violation of a ceasefire agreement being reported till June 10.
Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by resorting to brief firing on border outposts along the International Border.
Pakistan has been resorting to heavy mortar shelling along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir for the past over one month.
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.
The Pakistan army used heavy weaponry, firing 120 mm mortars targeting civilian hamlets and forward posts since 5.30 pm on Tuesday, said an army officer.
The repatriation orders for the two Indian Police Service officers come in the backdrop of a spate of terror incidents in the Jammu region, along the India-Pakistan border.
Amid escalation of cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir, top military officials of India and Pakistan on Tuesday discussed the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and International Border but failed to address the issue.
There have been four ceasefire violations along the LoC in Poonch in March.
The troops of these two units are expected to be based in Samba and near the Jammu-Punjab border, the sources said.
Pakistani troops fired 82 mm mortar bombs, used small and automatic weapons in the firing on forward Indian posts in Laam Battalion area in Naushera.
After a two-day lull, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire twice on Sunday by resorting to heavy firing with automatic and small arms along International Border and Line of Control in Jammu and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, forcing Indian troops to retaliate.
Once identified, these individuals are drawn into private groups where they are exposed to manipulative content, including fabricated videos depicting atrocities allegedly committed by security forces, the officials said.
This was the fourth fatal casualty in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the past five days. "A JCO was killed in unprovoked Pakistani firing and shelling in Nowshera sector of Rajouri," the officials said, adding that further details were awaited.
Congress rebel Satish Sharma, who defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajeev Sharma by nearly 7,000 votes and relegated his former party's heavyweight Tara Chand to the third position in the Chhamb seat, has found a place in the Omar Abdullah government, representing the Jammu region in the dispensation.
A Pakistani intruder was also killed in the exchange of fire, they added.
In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani on Sunday fired for over three hours on Indian forward posts along the Line of Control in Poonch district, prompting the Indian side to retaliate.
Indian troops gave a befitting reply, resulting in heavy damage to Pakistan's army posts and casualties of its soldiers
After tracking the movement at about 1.30 am, the spokesperson said an Army ambush, on challenging them, was fired upon and in the retaliatory firefight some terrorists have been hit.
The official said the firing and mortar shelling from the Pakistani side started around 1 am and continued for over four-and-a-half hours.
A senior army officer on Monday cautioned youngsters against drug abuse saying, 'The enemy nation is using narcotics as a weapon to destroy our coming generations.'
Pakistani troops heavily shelled border hamlets and army posts along the LoC with mortar bombs for the eleventh consecutive day in two sectors of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, which witnessed two fresh ceasefire violations from across the border on Wednesday.
A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing using small arms and automatic weapons to target 'Indian posts in the BG sector of the LoC in Poonch district'.
There has been firing by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Nowshera sector since 8:45 am, a senior army officer said.
The police on Tuesday exhumed the body of the victim of the alleged fake encounter in Poonch district and took samples for a DNA test to ascertain his identity. After the approval of the district administration, the body of the August 7 encounter victim was dug out in Surankote belt of Poonch district, in the presence of Additional Superintendent of Police Yougal Manhas, Magistrate (Tehsildar) Nisar Ahmed Khan and other officials on Tuesday afternoon, said the police.
The incident took place around 3:30 pm at the Devika Ghat community centre in the district.
Violating the ceasefire again, Pakistan army fired at six Indian forward posts along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, drawing retaliation from Indian troops.
In the fourth incident of ceasefire violation within a week, Pakistani troops pounded Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) with mortar shells in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, injuring an army jawan.
Breaching ceasefire, Pakistani troops targeted forward posts and civilian areas in Poonch district along the Line of Control for the second day on Thursday.
In seventh ceasefire violation this month, Pakistani troops fired at several Indian posts along the border in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
In the second incident of ceasefire violation this week, three army jawans were injured, one of them critically, when Pakistani troops fired at Indian posts on Wednesday in Kashmir's Poonch district. "Pakistani troops resorted to a brief small arms firing on posts along LoC in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district at around 2 pm today," a defence spokesman said.
The weekly service was suspended on August 19 after authorities in PoK did not respond to a call from their Indian counterparts to let a bus get across the LoC.
Pak forces violated ceasefire twice in one day.
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