1 killed, 4 hurt as Pakistan Army violates ceasefire in Poonch
A teenaged girl was killed and four civilians were seriously injured after the Pakistani army violated the ceasefire agreement for the second time in last 48 hours along the line of Control (loC) in Poonch on Friday.
Ceasefire violation by Pakistan also took place along the International Border in Arnia sector of Jammu where Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing on BSF posts late on Friday evening.
According to reports, Pakistan Rangers lobbed mortar shells and used medium machine guns (MMGs) to target border posts in Pital and Tent Guard in Arnia sector.
A 16-year-old girl succumbed to serious splinter injuries in Gagrian Village in Poonch, while four others were evacuated to the nearby hospital by local police with help of Indian Army soldiers and civilians.
During the heavy exchange of firing that lasted almost three hours in Sawjian area of Poonch, more than 36 houses were targeted by Pakistan Army using mortar shells and heavy volume of automatic weapon firing.
Some of the livestock also came in the direct line of fire of the roaring Pakistani guns. Villagers rushed to save their lives after they were caught in the crossfire.
This fresh provocation from Pakistan Army comes close on the heels of culmination of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had snubbed Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif after he had raised the issue of Kashmir in his address in New York.
Selective targeting of civilian areas from across the loC has already triggered a fresh wave of panic among residents in Mandi and Sawjian. Indian troops, already anticipating fresh intrusion bids ahead of the winter months retaliated effectively.
Six civilians were injured, while an equal number of structures were destroyed in the heavy firing late on Wednesday night in the same sector. Defence PRO in Jammu lt Col Manish Mehta said:”Ceasefire violation in Sawjian sector of Poonch was reported around 2.00 pm on Friday.”
Defence sources said troops of 644 Mujahideen Regiment targeted the forward Indian posts and civilian areas with heavy weapons in a bid to escalate tensions between the two neighbouring armies.
The Defence PRO said the firing continued till 4.50 pm in which one girl Zahira Akhtar was killed, while four others Ghulam Mohd (60), Sher Bagh (52), Zulfikar Ahmed (17) and Javed Iqbal (14) were seriously wounded.
Indian soldiers had also recovered mortar shells with ‘Made in Pakistan’ markings from forward villages affected by cross-border shelling on Wednesday night.
Following the fresh exchange of fire the Army columns deployed along the loC on patrol duty have been beefed up to prevent any fresh incursion bids. A three-tier surveillance grid is also in place to check infiltration bids from across the border, official sources said.