Heavy firing exchanges along international border in Jammu

Heavy firing exchanges erupted along the International border after Pakistan again violated the ceasefire by targeting Indian posts to push in a group of militants in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district, where one intruder was killed.

This is the fourteenth time that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the international border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in the last fortnight.

Pakistani Rangers fired on Indian posts of Mala Bela, Garkhal, Sidra camp and Naka Number-10 along IB in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district around 2230 hours last night, officials said today.

The firing was aimed to facilitate a group of militants into Indian territory. "We observed movement of suspected militants along border", they said.

BSF troops guarding the borderline fired back resulting in heavy exchanges, in which one intruder was killed and other escaped back, they said, adding firing continued till 7.30 AM today.

Pakistan troops also fired on the forward posts in Krishnagati belt along LoC in Poonch sector violating ceasefire late last night, they said, adding Army troops replied back and firing stopped after one hour. Pakistan has been repeatedly violating the ceasfire this month.

On August 17, there was heavy cross-border small arms firing on India posts along IB in Abdullian and Korotona Border Out Posts (BoPS) from Pakistan in R S Pura sub-sector in which BSF jawan Chander Rai was killed.

There were two firing incidents and ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Pansar Boder Out Post (BOP) along IB in Samba sector and Krishnagati forward belt along LoC barely on August 15.

On August 13, Pakistani troops opened fire on Indian posts along the Indo-Pak border in Arnia sector of Jammu district.

On July 11, a BSF jawan was injured after Pakistani troops opened fire on Indian posts along the Indo-Pak border in Arnia sector of Jammu district.

On August 7, India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the International Border in the state in which two Jawans were injured. Pakistan has violated the ceasefire 37 times this year.

There were 51 cases of ceasefire violation in 2011, 44 cases in 2010 and 28 in 2009. Pakistan troops had fired on several Indian posts along Indo-Pak border in Krishnagati sub-sector of Poonch district on August 8.

On August 6, Pakistan troops had fired at Indian posts with rockets and using small arms fire to target BSF's Border outpost (BOP)of Pansar along IB in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district resulting in injuries to two BSF jawans.

On the same day, Pakistan troops had opened indiscriminate fire on the forward posts along the LoC in Poonch sector and it continued intermittently for few hours as Army troops also replied. On August 5, Pakistan Rangers fired on Indian BOPs in Kote Kuba area along IB in R S Pura sector in Jammu district.

The firings and ceasefire violations by Pakistan came close on the heels of detection of 400-meter long tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba sector on July 28 and subsequent lodging of strong protest over the issue on July 31.