Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC in Poonch

Pakistan violated the ceasefire, resorting to unprovoked firing and heavy mortar shelling targeting forward Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. There was, however, no report of damage on the Indian side.

Jammu: Pakistan violated the ceasefire on Sunday in Balakot, Kirni and Malti sector of Poonch district along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to sources, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling and firing along the LoC and the Indian troops retaliated befittingly.

There was, however, no report of damage on the Indian side, the officials said.

The firing from across the border started around on Saturday, prompting strong retaliation by the BSF, the officials said, adding the firing between the two sides continued on Sunday.

According to security officials, there were 5,100 instances of ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC in 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir, the highest in nearly 18 years, that claimed 36 lives and left more than 130 people injured.

The Indian government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had entered into the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan on November 26, 2003.

Before the ceasefire agreement, as many as 8,376 incidents of shelling and firing by Pakistani troops were reported in 2002.

For three years - 2004, 2005 and 2006 - there was not a single such violation on the border. However, there had been a gradual increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan since 2009.