JAMMU: Over 550 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan occurred this year, the highest since the truce came into force in 2003, with the Indo-Pak border witnessing the worst such escalation during August to October which left 13 people, including 2 security personnel dead, and thousands displaced.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) this year witnessed 562 violations, with increased shelling, firing, Border Action Team (BAT) and sniper attacks on civilian areas and forward posts by the Pakistani troops.
As many as 410 ceasefire violations were reported along IB and 152 violations along LoC, in which 19 people, including 5 jawans, were killed and over 150 injured, besides scores of cattle perishing.
“This year has seen the highest ceasefire violations by Pakistan, targetting civilian areas and forward border posts along LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir during last 11 years of its existence,” Col S D Goswami, PRO of Northern Command told.
“Appropriate retaliation as required by the Indian Force was carried out”, Col Goswami said.
Over 32,000 border people were forced to leave their homes and take shelter in camps setup by the government in August and October, following heavy firing and shelling by Pakistan troops on civilian areas and forward posts along IB and LoC.
Then Director General of BSF D K Pathak had termed the ceasefire violations as the most heavy firing and shelling since 1971 Indo-Pak war.
As per the data by Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the sector-wise violations in 2014, the highest ceasefire violations (CFVs) have been reported from Jammu sector where there have been 347 CFVs, followed by 63 such violations along IB,