Unusual activity of heavily armed militants across the line of Control (loC) in frontier Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu division has been keeping troops of Indian Army in a state of high alert especially in the wake of a series of incidents of ‘unprovoked’ ceasefire violations in the region.
According to latest field intelligence reports, “Indian troops have been regularly picking unusual activity across the loC while maintaining tight vigil on the suspicious movement of infiltrators”.
Anticipating further increase in the infiltration bids in the coming days Indian Army has already strengthened its foot patrol in the area and regularly sending long range patrols for area domination in infiltration prone sectors along the loC.
Meanwhile, late Monday night Pakistan Army yet again violated ceasefire agreement by starting 'unprovoked firing and targeted forward Indian posts.
Civilian areas falling in the direct line of fire in Shahpur sector and at least six forward posts were targeted by the Pakistan Army.
According to field reports the exchange of fire continued for about 11 hours between the two neighboring armies deployed on both sides of the line of control.
The firing was probably aimed at providing cover fire to a group of infiltrators to help them sneak inside the Indian territory. However, the Indian army has not confirmed whether infiltration bid was foiled or infiltrators retreated back inside the Pakistani territory after Indian troops retaliated the fire. This is the second major incident of ceasefire violation in the last one week in the region.
According to Defence PRO lt Col Manish Mehta,” Pakistani soldiers initiated indiscriminate firing along the line of control in Poonch sector at midnight. He said Pak army used small arms, automatic weapons, light and medium machine guns and 120 mm mortars to target the forward Indian posts. Indian army retaliated the fire using similar calibre of weapons”, he added.
“No casualties or damage to our troops was reported till the report last came in,he clarified.
On September 2, 2016, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by firing on forward Army posts along loC in Akhnoor sector in Jammu district.
On August 14, 2016, a 50-year-old woman from Kasba village was injured when the Pakistani Army violated the ceasefire twice and targeted Indian posts on the line of Control in Poonch sector in two different areas.