STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: After a lull of nearly seven months, the ceasefire on the Line of Control was violated again on Sunday with Pakistan Army resorting to mortar shelling and firing in Poonch sector, a development that comes amid a fresh chill in relations between the two countries.
“The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector of J and K,” Defence Spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said here.
He said the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy mortar and automatic weapon fire in the Shahpur area of Poonch sector at 4:30 AM.
“Our troops responded appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported,” the spokesman added.
The ceasefire violation comes after nearly seven months as last such incident took place on 18th September, 2015 in the Balakote sector of Poonch District.
“Today’s ceasefire violation is the first major such incident of 2016,” a senior army officer said.
Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 others injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, the officer said.
While 253 incidents of ceasefire violations took place along the International Border (IB), 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, he said.
Around 8,000 people were temporarily affected due to the ceasefire violations and had to be shifted to safer locations.
Introducing a fresh chill in ties between the two neighbours, Pakistan had earlier this month said the bilateral peace process stands “suspended” while indicating that it would not allow Indian investigators looking into the Pathankot Air Force Base attack to travel there.
The ceasefire violation could have been aimed at aiding an infiltration bid by terrorists, the senior officer said.
