The Pakistan Army on Friday targeted forward Indian posts along the line of Control (lOC) for about three hours provoking strong retaliation from the Indian side with same calibre of weapons. The violation comes close on the heels of successful completion of polling in border district of Poonch.
Pakistan’s Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) called up his Indian counterpart on the hotline later in the day to lodge a protest over firing and complained that it was the Indian Army which violated ceasefire, officials said in New Delhi.India, however, rejected Pakistan’s contention and said the posts along lOC in Doda battalion area in Poonch district came under small arms and mortar firing from Pakistan Army at about 9.30 am. Indian troops then retaliated resulting in intermittent exchange of fire.
According to defence sources, “The unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side of the lOC was reported around 9.15 am and continued till 12.30 pm in Doda battalion area of Poonch.” Pakistan Army used small arms and automatic weapons to target the forward Indian posts. Army officials said in Jammu: “No one from the Indian side received injuries in the exchange of intermittent fire.”
Earlier on April 16, the alert troops had foiled suspected infiltration bid in Poonch. Indian troops are maintaining a tight vigil along the lOC in the backdrop of ongoing poll process currently underway in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.Officials in New Delhi denied reports that Pakistan DGMO sought a sector commander level meeting to resolve the issue and said there was no such proposal to hold a meeting at the local level in Poonch.
India and Pakistan have a hotline at the DGMO level to address such issues and the two officers talk to each other once a week and if situation demands they hold a dialogue more than once a week like the present case.