India, Pak border standoff leaves civilian injured

A civilian was injured in the fresh firing from across the line of control (LoC) while a soldier succumbed to injuries earlier during the day.

The armies of India and Pakistan on Wednesday traded fire and heavy mortar shelling for the third day in Mendar area of Poonch, officials said, adding that in the shelling in Balakote sector of Mendhar Sub-Division, a  civilian was injured.

Also the junior commissioned officer (JCO) of army wounded in shelling in Nowshera tehsil of Rajouri succumbed to his injuries. The deceased was identified as Shashi Kumar and was injured in cross-border firing in Kalal Nowshera yesterday. He was shifted to army hospital where he succumbed today, said a senior officer.

Security officials said that notwithstanding firm “retaliation” by the Indian troops, Pakistan Army continues to resort to repeated ceasefire violations in which civilians and soldiers get either killed or injured. 

“The Pak troops have started targeting school buildings situated on the border and this plan is being done to create added scare so that border villagers flee to safer places leaving the field open for infiltration,’’ said the official.

Two Army men were killed and another injured in Pakistani troops firing and shelling along Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir while over 200 students and teachers trapped in three schools during shelling in Naushera sector of Rajouri district were rescued safely yesterday.

Officials  said Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire and resorted to “unprovoked firing and mortar shelling on army’s forward positions and civilian areas in BG and Poonch sector in Poonch district.’’

He said the Pakistani troops also fired on army positions along LoC in Naushera sector in Rajouri district.. He said an Army Sepoy Jaspreet Singh was earlier killed in the Pakistani shelling in Naushera sector.

“In Gurez sector Pakistani troops resorted to firing  on the Indian border outposts but the alert Indian soldiers retaliated the fire and killed two militants who were being aided by Pak troops to infiltrate into Kashmir,’’ said the official.

As the border tension escalates chances for revival of trade and people to people contact besides talks with separatists and Pakistan have become dim. India wants first of all Pakistan to stop ceasefire violations and give up its plan on assisting militants to sneak into the Kashmir valley for hiking the level of violence and  then the “atmosphere to become conducive for talks and revival of cross-LOC trade and people to people contact.’’

Pakistan Foreign Office on Wednesday lodged protest with India over the killing of two civilians in “intense unprovoked shelling by Indian troops” from across the Line of Control (LoC) in the sectors of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK), Pak media reports said.

Pakistan Foreign Office summoned Indian Deputy High Commission JP Singh and condemned the “unrelenting, intense shelling by Indian troops” along the LoC which caused civilian causalities.

“India frequently resorted to the ceasefire violations by deliberately targeting civilian populations,” according to reports the Pak foreign office told Indian diplomat.

As per reports at least two civilians were killed and 16 others wounded on Pak side when Indian and Pakistani forces resorted to cross border shelling.

“India frequently resorted to the ceasefire violations by deliberately targeting civilian populations,” according to reports the Pak foreign office told Indian diplomat.

At least two civilians were killed and 16 others wounded when Indian forces resorted to intense shelling, targeting civilian population on the Pakistani side of the Himayalan region. The fatalities took place in Samahni and Nakyal sectors of Bhimer and Kotli districts of Kashmir, Pakistan media reported.

Earlier today, a civilian was injured in fresh shelling in Sandote Balakote as India and Pakistan continued trading  fire and heavy mortar shelling for the third consecutive day in Mendar area of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

He was identified as 20-year-old Ahmad Raza, son of Abdul Hamied.

 

 

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.