Houses damaged, civilian hurt in intense Pak firing along LoC
Indian troops respond strongly & effectively' to shelling along border.
SRINAGAR: Several residential houses and other structures were damaged in fresh intense cross-LoC shelling and firing in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch, Rajouri and Baramulla districts on Friday.
The officials said that the Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling at Gawahalan, Chokas, Kik-er and Kathi posts of the Indian Army in Uri area of Baramulla district and across entire Kamalkote sector. The Indian troops have responded “strongly and effectively” to the Pakistani shelling, the officials said.
They said that the shelling started at 3 am and continued till reports last came in. They added that some shells landed into residential areas as a result of which one civilian M.R. Khan, a resident of Madiyan Kamalkote, was injured.
Earlier, a few houses and a stationary car were damaged in the Pakistani firing in Balakote area in Mendhar sub-division of Poonch. The shelling also kept the local people awake whole night, the local sources said.
A defence spokesman in Jammu said that at about 4.15 pm on Friday, the Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along LoC in Nowshera sector of district Rajouri. “Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively,” the spokesman, Lt. Col. Devendra Anand, said.
He said that similar clashes were reported also from Mendhar, Balakote and Krishna Ghati sectors of Poonch district. “Pakistan continued to initiate unprovoked ceasefire violations also in Mendhar, Balakote and Krishna Ghati sectors,” the spokesman said adding that in these sectors also the Indian Army retaliated “strongly and effectively”.
Meanwhile, Northern Command chief Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, accompanied by the White Knight Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Paramjit Singh, on Friday visited forward posts in Akhnoor sector of the LoC to review the operational preparedness and the prevalent security situation.
During the visit to this sector in Jammu district, the Army commander was briefed by the commanders on ground about the current operational situation, prevailing security scenario and the preparedness of the formation in dealing with the same, a statement issued by the Army said.
It added that Lt. Gen. Singh was also briefed on the actions taken “to meet the challenges of increased ceasefire violations”.