The Pakistani Army is once again plotting to inflict maximum damage to the Indian troops deployed along the line of Control to prevent infiltration bids ahead of the coming winter season.
In the last 24 hours, the loC in Poonch has witnessed two back to back incidents of ceasefire violations where the Pakistani Army used 82 mm mortars to shell the forward Indian positions. Continuous shelling for a period of around 10-12 hours at different locations in Mendhar, Balnoi and Balakote sub-sectors of Poonch has once again triggered fresh round of unrest among the local residents in the area. Some of the shells have even landed in civilian areas forcing them to stay indoors even during the daytime.
The Indian Army has also unearthed a terror plot with the timely detection of five IEDs in Kerni village near loC on Thursday. A local villager had first raised an alarm after spotting some suspicious movement of a group of people desperately trying to plant IEDs in the area. The booby trap was possibly laid by the specialised troops of the Pakistani Army with the active assistance of trained militants to target the movement of patrol party in the area, claimed official sources in Poonch. Meanwhile, two back to back incidents of major ceasefire violations have once again shifted the focus to active loC in Poonch. The Army is already in a state of high alert following increasing incidents of infiltration attempts in north Kashmir's Kupwara.
According to official sources, after violating ceasefire agreement on Thursday in Balakote, Balnoi and Mendhar sub-sectors the Pakistani Army on Friday once again pounded over half a dozen Indian posts in Barasingha, Mendhar and Hamirpur from 8.30 am with 82 mm mortar shells, automatic and small arms firing. The Indian troops strongly retaliated to the grave provocation and used same calibre of weapons while retaliating the fire.
According to official sources, the exchange of fire continued for over five hours in the area and triggered fresh wave of terror among the local residents as many forward villagers too came under the direct line of fire of the Pakistani guns. late Thursday night also several forward villages in Deri Debsi, PatharGali and Balakote witnessed heavy exchange of fire and villagers spent sleepless night praying for the well being of their loved ones.